We journey to the Mortal Realms this week – the Trogg King has awoken and he’s stomping hither and yon. The din convinced those nice fellers at Warhammer+ to put him on their shows, and we spoke to Alex from Loremasters and Simon at Battle Report for their opinions on Trugg.
WarCom: It’s all about Dawnbringers Book 2: Reign of the Brute this week on Warhammer+. Is there anything brutish planned for Loremasters?
Alex: This week’s episode is all about Trugg the Troggoth King, his history, that of the troggoths, and what he has been up to since the Twin-Tailed Crusade set out from Hammerhal.
WarCom: So this isn’t the first time Trugg has been spotted?
Alex: Possibly… He certainly hasn’t been seen for centuries, as he has been slumbering away in his dankhold. He even slept through Nurgle’s invasion of Ghyran during the Age of Chaos. However, some ancient records, recovered from Khazalid ruins refer to a colossal troggoth they called Old Stoneshatter, who smashed whole cities back in the Age of Myth. Other scattered writings, stretching far back into the history of the realms, may also make mention of Trugg, however it's impossible to know for sure and Trugg certainly isn’t stopping his rampage to verify historical records.
WarCom: He sounds like a deep sleeper!
Alex: You could say that. He is the kind of guy who needs to set 12 alarms to even have a chance at getting up in the morning! He didn’t even stir when an order of arcanists installed a leystone on his back, possibly mistaking his snoozing bulk for a rocky outcropping. It appears to have taken a combination of events to have roused him, most recently, the intervention of the notorious Rabble-Rowza Braggit Big-Talka!
WarCom: Given the grumpy attitude of a troggoth when they wake up, we guess Trugg did not take this well?
Alex: Indeed, most troggoths would be somewhat ill tempered after a bellowing grot has woken them up. However the Troggoth King is particularly angry, as he has a pounding headache that just won’t shift!
WarCom: A worrying prospect for anyone who crosses him! We didn't think troggoths had royalty, so why is he called the Troggoth King?
Alex: Well, to find that out you will have to watch this week’s episode of Loremasters!
WarCom: Simon, you got to field Trugg in the latest episode of Battle Report. Be honest, how good is he?
Simon: He doesn’t mess about, that’s for sure. I mean, he can dish out a potential 36 damage in melee! Not only that, but his regenerative abilities are such that he heals D3+3 wounds every turn, so unless you kill him outright, Trugg will keep on a-comin’.
WarCom: Sounds nasty! What else did you include alongside him?
Simon: I actually used Trugg’s Troggherd – an Army of Renown featured in Reign of the Brute – which is exclusively composed of troggoths. This, of course, meant that my model count would be quite low, but they hit like a landslide when they get stuck in, and Trugg’s Malfunctioning Leystone serves as an incredible force multiplier in that it affects EVERY unit in the Troggherd.
WarCom: That’s quite the buff! What do you reckon is the most effective way of using the leystone?
Simon: Well, the Glyph of Chamon is probably your best bet in the first battle round, as it will give any Dankhold or Fellwater Troggoths - and, of course, Trugg himself - a 5+ ward. And if your opponent goes last in the first battle round, then gets the double-turn by winning priority in the second, your units will still be well protected.
In our game, I actually used a few different glyph options to try them out, but I found the Glyph of Ghur to be especially effective - even more so when combined with a Dankhold Troggboss’ Shepherd of Destruction ability. I had a large unit of 6 Rockgut Troggoths armed with massive stone mauls. They already have a solid weapon profile, but when you add in the combined effects of +2 Attacks and +1 To Hit, it takes on a whole new level of graphic violence!
WarCom: Ouch! That’s a lot of damage output right there…
Simon: It really is. Nick and I both had a few more tricks up our sleeves. As it was an open play game, and to further tie it in with our ongoing Dawnbringers series, we agreed that we would each include a Harbinger from Dawnbringers Book 1 in our armies. That meant a Grimhold Exile for Nick, while I included a Rabble-Rowsa to represent Braggit Big-Talka. His Get Goin’, Ya Gitz! ability would enable me to goad Trugg and my Dankhold Troggboss (who was also a Monster thanks to the Loonstone Teef artefact of power) into an enraged surge forward, and hopefully into combat, where they would be at their most devastating.
Thanks guys! That’s a lot of crucial Trugg-flavoured content this week. To watch it, you can subscribe to Warhammer+ by hitting the button below.
