We’ve waited a long time to see the Leagues of Votann in action, and the day is finally here. Battle Report is back with the first episode of a three-part Crusade campaign, and it’s packed with juicy new rules to show off.
Warhammer TV’s very own Kâhl Si Grant is here to tell us all about it.
Si: This episode is the first of three Crusade games that we’ll be featuring on Battle Report. We’re following the exploits of a Leagues of Votann Oathband over the course of a narrative campaign – a few of the key battles of which we’ll be showing on Warhammer+. For our first episode, we’ll start with 25 Power Level a side – Combat Patrol sized.
The Leagues of Votann have a well-rounded roster, from sturdy Einhyr Hearthguard to swift Hernkyn Pioneers. Before the Crusade campaign began, I chose a balanced selection for my 50 PL Order of Battle, led by a suitably gruff and vengeful Kâhl named Kôrv Grudgekeeper.
For each game, I would then select forces to deploy from this list, which grew in size as the campaign developed.
My force hails from the Greater Thurian League* – the white-and-teal Kin you’ve seen plenty of so far – as they’re renowned for exploration, resource acquisition, and military conquest. Their League Custom, Ruthless Efficiency, grants them re-rolls and an edge when contesting objectives.
Perhaps the greatest strength of the League lies in how they wield the Eye of the Ancestors. This faction-wide ability condemns enemies to annihilation should they attract ire in the form of Judgement tokens.
Enemy units gain Judgement tokens in a number of ways, from completing an action (how dare you!) to destroying a Votann unit (how VERY dare you!), while Kâhls can dole out extra tokens with their Grim Efficiency ability.
My League’s unique Stratagem, Appraising Glare, maximises the effectiveness of Grim Efficiency, enabling you to mark out a dangerous enemy unit for destruction from the battle’s outset.
Each League also has an Ancestral Judgement ability that applies when attacking a unit with Judgement tokens on it, and the Greater Thurian League’s makes their warriors even more vengeful.
With the use of Grim Efficiency, Appraising Glare, and Ancestral Judgement, your target effectively has three Judgement tokens – quite the trick to have up your void-armour!
With my Order of Battle in place, I spent two of my five starting Requisition points on upgrading my Kâhl with a Warlord Trait and Relic.
The Warlord Trait A Long List is especially effective for the Greater Thurian League, as the ability to redistribute Judgement tokens makes for a great combo with their Ancestral Judgement. Plus, it’s the perfect choice for a Warlord with a name like Kôrv Grudgekeeper…
Making the enemy strike last in combat is a massive advantage, and the Relic Aktôl's Fortress allows you to apply this effect to an enemy unit within 3” of the bearer, enormously increasing your options in melee.
With that, the Oathband was ready. The Leagues of Votann are a new faction, so I wanted to take on as many different armies as possible to put them through their paces. I managed to steal Peachy from his painting duties long enough to take on his wonderful Ventrillian Nobles for the campaign’s opener – a 25PL duel between two evenly matched sides.
If you love Peachy’s incredible army, we’ve actually put together a video on how to paint your own regiment of Ventrillian Nobles for the Astra Militarum
No spoilers, but we had an absolute blast filming the Battle Report, so don’t miss it. Best of all, it’s only part one of three!
Thanks, Si. If you’re not already a Warhammer+ member, subscribe now and head over to Warhammer TV to see the first ever outing for the Leagues of Votann. And that’s not it for subscribers this week – issues 338 and 339 of White Dwarf are coming to the Warhammer Vault, while the second part of the Citadel Colour Masterclass on the non-metallic metal technique also drops, while on Saturday, the second part of the Loremasters investigation into the Leagues of Votann arrives. What’s more, if you subscribe now, you can get a fantastic Year Two exclusive miniature for free!
* You’ll soon become acutely familiar with this particular sub-faction, as their colour scheme is featured on all of the Leagues of Votann box covers.