We hope you’ve checked your horoscope today, as we’re about to discern what we can of the enigmatic Seraphon. If you’d like to learn more about these astral lizardmen or getting a headstart with how they play in the new edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, then celestial fate has guided you to the right place.
If you’ve not been keeping track over the past few weeks (for shame!), we’ve been looking into how the new edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar affects every faction with the help of the game’s official playtesters. Now it’s the turn of the Seraphon, so grab your telescope and get ready to (star)gaze into the future to see how you can get the most from this otherworldly faction.
But before we do, let’s learn a little more about these mysterious warriors.
Who Are the Seraphon?
The Seraphon are the antithesis of Chaos. Created by the mysterious Old Ones to enact their cosmic plan, the Seraphon will stop at nothing to achieve their purpose – the total defeat of the Dark Gods. Though it may seem ambitious given the seemingly limitless strength of the forces of Chaos, every action made by Seraphon is a means to an end, be it a crushing victory over their enemies in battle or the death of a single warrior destined for a life of infamy.
There are two distinct varieties of Seraphon. Most common are the Starborne, whose metaphysical connection to Azyr prevents them from achieving true physicality. Summoned to war by their Slann Starmasters, the Starborne use translocation portals within their void-faring ziggurats to manifest directly onto the battlefield, and they simply burst into showers of starlight should their forms be destroyed.
By contrast, the Seraphon known as the Coalesced have become one with the magical properties of the Mortal Realm upon which their temple-fleets landed, and over time, they’ve achieved physical permanence. They emerge from the sweltering jungles their cold-blooded nature favours them to settle within and march into battle in perfect lockstep, issuing guttural roars to terrify those who stand against them.
The ranks of the Seraphon most commonly comprise cohorts of Saurus Warriors, who tear enemies apart with their fearsome jaws even as they bludgeon the foe with spiked mauls or skewer them with spears. They’re often accompanied by light-footed Skinks, who bring down their prey with poisoned javelins and blow darts. Towering Kroxigor provide heavy support, sweeping aside rank after rank with great swings of their maces.
The Seraphon are a formidable force that can operate in a number of different ways on the battlefield. Luckily, we’ve got elite playtester Jack Armstrong here to offer his wisdom. Having won multiple tournaments with the Seraphon in recent years (all according to the Great Plan of the Old Ones, of course), Jack is the perfect person to advise us how they’ll play in the new edition.
Jack: Seraphon are a hugely diverse faction, with your choice of Starborne or Coalesced defining how they’ll play and helping to shape your unit choices.
If you go down the Starborne route, you’re likely to be blasting foes with magic from Slann Starmasters – who’ll also be invaluable for enhancing your units with the new suite of command abilities – and shooting with lots of skirmishing Skinks and Salamanders.
If you prefer the Coalesced, you have the clear choice between lots of trundling Monsters in Thunder Lizard armies or ranks of Saurus with Koatl’s Claw. For their part, the Monsters are more powerful than ever before thanks to the monstrous rampage rules. Meanwhile, Saurus form a tough and hard-hitting core to your army, which benefit greatly from command abilities like All-out Defence and Rally to keep them in the fight and tie up key enemy units.
Biggest Winners
The Seraphon clearly aren’t playing around as we enter the Era of the Beast, but which of their units benefit most from the new rules? Here’s Jack with his top three picks.
Bastiladons
Jack: These Monsters boast a 1+ Save at the start of the battle, but even after they’ve suffered some wounds, you can use All-out Defence to ensure your opponent continues struggling to reliably hurt them. If you take Bastiladons in a Thunder Lizards army, you can double the firepower of their devastating Solar Engine attack with their bespoke command ability.
Slann Starmasters
Jack: While you might be tempted just to take the majestic Lord Kroak, there’s definitely a place for his Slann Starmaster brethren in your armies. They allow you to cast and counter three spells, give you a focus for command abilities, and let you seize control of endless spells – or dispel them from anywhere on the battlefield with their Masters of Order ability.
Saurus Cavalry
Jack: In a Coalesced army, a unit of five Saurus Knights puts out a staggering 26 attacks, adding 1 to hit rolls if you use the Koatl’s Claw allegiance ability, Savagery Incarnate. Add a nearby Skink Starpriest to give your deadly cavalry the chance to inflict a handful of mortal wounds too with its Serpent Staff.
Thanks for sharing part of the Great Plan with us, Jack. If you’re looking to bolster your Seraphon army, or begin one from scratch, grab yourself a Start Collecting! Seraphon set, and if Skinks are your jam, you may want to get their bespoke Start Collecting! set too.