The latest episode of Battle Report hits Warhammer+ today, and the crew are unleashing the skeletal legions of the Ossiarch Bonereapers. This will be the first outing for their new battletome as it comes to pre-order this weekend, and you’re sure to see some new tricks and tactics on display.
We caught up with aspiring Liege-Kavalos Nick from the Battle Report team, to get the lowdown on what to expect…
Warhammer Community: We were dead excited to hear that the Ossiarch Bonereapers are marching to war once more! Tell us about the game.
Nick: This week’s episode is epic indeed! We’re taking the new battletome for a spin against a brutal Slaves to Darkness horde, in a 2,000-point matched play game using a battleplan from the current General’s Handbook. It’s a monstrous clash with plenty of twists, turns, great moments, and spectacular dice rolls!
As a proud Mortisan myself, I took control of the elite warriors of Nagash – it’s actually my own army we use in the game – while actual real-life Chaos worshipper Ben commands the Slaves to Darkness. If you’ve ever wanted to see what happens when a bunch of angry, heavily armoured brutes charge into unwavering lines of elite skeletal warriors, then this is the show for you.
WarCom: So what’s it like commanding an army of magical constructs made out of the remains of your fallen foes?
Nick: Oh, it’s just so much fun. Ossiarch Bonreapers are perhaps the most regimented and disciplined of all armies in the Mortal Realms, and the new Relentless Discipline rules put you firmly in the commander’s bony saddle. You’ll almost always have more command points than your opponent, but it’s up to you to use them wisely and get the very best out of your loyal troops.
WarCom: So, did it work? Did you manage to see off the forces of the Dark Gods?
Nick: Well, no spoilers, obviously! It’s fair to say the Slaves to Darkness hit HARD. With units like Varanguard, Chosen, and Chaos Knights running amok on the battlefield, it’s very tough to pin down and control your enemy – especially when they’re commanded by someone as merciless as Ben.* The game went right down to the very last battle round, and what a last round it was!
WarCom: Which units performed particularly well for the Ossiarch Bonereapers?
Nick: The Mortek Guard are an immovable phalanx of warriors – their updated Shieldwall command ability allowed them to stand firm and fight hard. My Gothizzar Harvester refused to be slain, using parts of Ben’s dead warriors to fix itself up mid-battle, while my Mortek Crawler’s new payloads delivered death from afar.
A special mention has to go to my models of the match, the Necropolis Stalkers. These four-armed fiends are so good – flexible enough to deliver unmatched amounts of death or bunker down and take hits, they proved a real thorn in Ben’s side.
WarCom: The Ossifector joins the ranks of the Bonereapers in this battletome. How did it fare?
Nick: The Ossifector is there to boost your biggest constructs, offering buffs to the Mortek Crawler, Gothizzar Harvester, and other big beasties. Mine used Refined Creations throughout the game to give the Mortek Crawler an Enhanced Clawspan, which seriously increased its shooting ability, and dispatched some of Ben’s most pressing threats. He’s a wizard too, and he managed to cast a good few spells into the mix. Great addition to the army!
So, now that I've answered your questions, mortal… how do you plan on paying your bone tithe?
Errrr, thanks, Nick! Time to beat a hasty retreat. Check out this bone-tingling game on Warhammer+ today, and pre-order the new Battletome: Ossiarch Bonereapers from Saturday.
Win a Collector’s Edition of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
This April, Warhammer+ are giving away five copies of the Collector's Edition of the upcoming Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader video game, when it's released.**
This set includes an eight-inch painted figure of Navigator Cassia, a hardcover art book, a Warrant of Trade that you can personalise with your name, a Rogue Trader banner, and a sticker pack. You also get all the items included in the Developer’s Digital Pack.
Not only that, but all Warhammer+ Subscribers will get a 50% off pre-order discount code for the Developer’s Digital Pack edition emailed out to them in May!
* It's rumoured in the Warhammer+ offices that Ben is just weeks away from achieving full daemonhood.