The End Times were a landmark period in Warhammer history, when Nagash rose from his tomb and Archaon and the Chaos Gods finally unmade the World-that-Was. Yet through a stroke of divine luck, a reborn Sigmar clung to the core of the sundered world, eventually finding the Mortal Realms – along with many of his allies and enemies, whose souls had weathered armageddon.
History is wont to repeat itself, and Archaon, now the Grand Marshal of the Apocalypse, returned after many centuries of peace and prosperity to conquer the realms, forcing Sigmar to retreat back to Azyr and abandon humanity for many long years. But the Heldenhammer had a plan – he would need an army of more than mere mortals to combat Chaos, and so he forged the first Stormhosts of immortal warriors we now know as the Stormcast Eternals.
When Warhammer Age of Sigmar hit the shelves eight years ago, the Stormcast Eternals were the focal faction. The core box pitted the immortal warriors of the golden and blue Hammers of Sigmar Stormhost against hordes of bloodletting Khornate worshippers, introducing a new paradigm of fantastical battles.
Armed with heaven-wrought hammers and hefty tower shields, Liberators descend from Azyr via bolts of brightest levin, crashing into enemy lines with the force of a thunderclap. Out of all the incredible miniatures in that core box, it feels right and proper to pay our dues to these towering battleline troops. This setting was heroic, fantastical, and contained hidden depths, starting a new era marked by a Stormcast Eternal statue taking residence in front of the Warhammer Headquarters in Nottingham.
Even in death, the Stormcast Eternals’ souls returned to Azyr to be reforged.* This isn’t without a price, however, and over time their memories, personhood, and sense of self is eroded.
This cost is deemed necessary, because the realms are so vast and the forces of Chaos so relentless. Over time, Sigmar has opened more Chambers to aid the Realms. With the Extremis Chamber, the Stormcast Eternals deploy vicious draconic mounts. From the Vanguard Auxiliary Chamber, ranging scouts ride the winds aetheric, and in the Sacrosanct Chamber, master sorcerers search for a solution to the cracks left by reforging.
After the Broken Realms saga, the Cursed Skies created by Be’lakor prevented Stormcast souls from easily returning to Azyr. Sigmar and Grungni's response was new Thunderstrike Armour, refined protection that allowed them to pierce these vaulted skies. This new armour also provided an aesthetic shift for the Stormcast Eternals, creating something leaner and slightly less ornate, but no less magnificent.
In this time of need, the Sons of Dracothion Krondys and Karazai lent their might to the Stormcast Eternals, allowing mighty Stormdrakes to partner up with Stormcast Eternals to create soaring cavalry that could immolate foes with plumes of flame.
As war rages on unending in the Age of Sigmar, the Stormcast Eternals continue to appear in flashes of coruscating light as more Stormhosts are forged. Until Chaos is truly defeated, Sigmar and his legions of immortal warriors will not rest, but the toll of the battles they must endure and the flaws in reforging loom large. Despite the powers arrayed against them, they remain unbowed.
* Thanks to an early pact between Sigmar and Nagash, that the Supreme Lord of the Undead is now none too happy about.