Humans make up the majority of the population in most of the Free Cities that provide the backbone of Sigmar’s mortal armies – but they do not march alone. They are joined on campaign by their neighbours: stout duardin, nimble aelves, and even second-generation ogors whose lack of guts would make a Mawtribe Tyrant weep.
The new Battletome: Cities of Sigmar will shake army construction up a little, and certain units are leaving the range, but it’s still easy to construct a mighty army to represent some of the more cosmopolitan cities in which multiple races live side-by-side.
Designed to rebuff opponents with crenellated shield walls and black-powder guns, the Castelite formation employed by the human contingent of the Free Cities’ war machine is a revolutionary mobile fortress… but moving all that heavy metal and wood around takes time and energy. Even the Freeguild Cavaliers who charge from its gates do so under the protection of hefty barding, so when the Cities need a distant object secured or a unit in the enemy’s rear echelon shut down they will employ swift cavalry like Dark Riders.
Unlike their human counterparts who like to get stuck in for extended battle, these Shadow Raiders move at a nippy 14” and can retreat and then charge or fire in the same turn, taking advantage of their foe’s disarray to gain +1 to their hit rolls.
The preternatural swiftness of aelves is one of their greatest strengths, something their commanders are keenly aware of. While they make use of standard Cities of Sigmar orders like Advance in Formation, aelven heroes can also hand out unique orders like Strike Them Down, which gives any CITIES OF SIGMAR AELF unit the strike-first effect if they’ve charged that turn.
Duardin are not at all bothered about haste, and instead fight with a slow-burning fury, acting as an anchor for Cities of Sigmar armies. The Form Shieldwall order can be revealed in the enemy combat phase, giving units of duardin troops a ward of 5+ and the strike-last effect. Ironbreakers units that receive this order even form Gromril Shieldwalls with the help of their artisan armour, boosting their ward save to a 4+.
The Dispossessed are led by Warden Kings, venerable fighters who fight to preserve the legacy and traditions of their kind, and keep the innumerable grudges they have accumulated alive and well on the battlefield. As an Ancestral Grudgebearer their ability to keep a grievance smouldering is second to none, and if a Warden King is a general they can pick one enemy unit to bear a grudge against, granting all CITIES OF SIGMAR DUARDIN units who target them with melee weapons the ability to automatically wound on a hit roll of 6.
Aelves and duardin can both lend more esoteric assets to the Cities of Sigmar, and it is not uncommon to witness a Sorceress blasting magic from atop a Black Dragon while Gryobombers send enemy lines into disarray. Likewise, units of Freeguild Steelhelms, graceful Bleakswords, and bellyaching Longbeards commonly march out on campaign as one.
The Cities of Sigmar Army Set is the first place you can get Battletome: Cities of Sigmar, and a core of human troops for you to add aelven and duardin support to.