The Slaves to Darkness are the true heirs to the Mortal Realms, the descendants of ordinary people who turned to worship the Ruinous Powers in a bid to survive the Age of Chaos. From tribes of Darkoath led by grim-faced Chieftains to armoured hosts commanded by tyrannical warlords, the Slaves to Darkness reave the realms in pursuit of power. Their goal is simple: overthrow the weak and their false gods, and claim dominion over the Mortal Realms.
Chaos came to control much of the Mortal Realms through the failure of the God-king Sigmar, who retreated to Azyr following defeat at the hands of Archaon.
Those who were left to fend for themselves were forced to throw in their lot with the Ruinous powers, and become obliged to a harder life of violence and survival. Their existence is hard won, paid for each day in blood. In the Age of Sigmar, they watch the Heldenhammer’s upstart followers flood black across the realms to claim lands lost for centuries.
But the Mortal Realms are not theirs to take.
These settlers are weaklings, curs who worship false gods. The Slaves to Darkness muster in vast hosts to protect their domain, an unstoppable force who will not rest until they have driven all other gods and their worshippers to ruin.
Overview
From the lowest Darkoath tribesperson to the most powerful Chaos Lord, everyone is on a journey known as a Path to Glory. This is a metaphysical ladder to greatness, though its rungs are climbed only through acts and atrocities committed under the ever-watchful gaze of the Chaos gods.
The Ruinous Powers reward the triumphant with gifts of great power, but they are also wont to turn those who displease them into a writhing mass of mutations. The select few who truly persevere, however, might become towering Daemon Princes, war-hungry monsters granted command of great warhosts.
At the very pinnacle of the Path to Glory stands one figure: Archaon the Everchosen, Grand Marshal of the Apocalypse. He brought about the end of the World-that-Was and has retained his vast powers in the Mortal Realms, wielding relics of apocalyptic power and riding the daemonic steed Dorghar. He loathes the Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, and Slaanesh almost as much as he hates Sigmar, and rules vast, uncountable armies from his throne in the towering fortress known as the Varanspire – an unholy fastness situated in the Allpoints, the sub-realm that exists as a nexus between the eight realms.
His legions march in hellforged steel, led by mighty champions such as Abraxia or infamous Chaos Lords who have piqued his interest. Some, like Archaon himself, bear the mark of Chaos Undivided, swearing fealty to no single god. Others pledge themselves to one of the four*, flying tattered banners that bear their unspoken sigils, sacrificing their souls to earn powerful marks from their patrons.
But Archaon does not stand unopposed. Be’lakor the Dark Master was the first daemon prince, elevated aeons ago. Through his arrogance he was denied the mantle of Everchosen, fated only to crown his successors. This has fuelled his hatred for Archaon, and he now spreads sedition, recruiting Chaos Legionaries to his clandestine cause, even turning one of the Eight Circles of Varanguard – Archaon’s elite bodyguard – against their own master.
Be’lakor, however, has his own champion – Eternus, Blade of the First Prince – in charge of his armies, as he prefers to rule from the shadows, weaving countless plots and schemes that spread his influence far and wide.
The final piece of the puzzle are the Darkoath Tribes, ordinary inhabitants of the Mortal Realms. They do not directly worship the Chaos Gods, instead pledging oaths to spirits who guard their territory – and in fact, minor aspects of the Ruinous Powers. The need for self-reliance in a brutal world has turned them into a hostile people, but also a proud one with unbreakable bonds to their kith and kin. They will not cede their lands so easily to the whelps who still venerate the coward Sigmar.
Battle Traits
The Slaves to Darkness battle for supremacy beneath the Eye of the Gods, the Path to Glory littered with the bodies of the vanquished. At the end of each turn, each unit which triumphed over another may receive a gift from the Ruinous Powers – unless they are Snubbed by the Gods.
Mutative Regrowth reknits even grievous damage, while Unnatural Grace enhances the beneficiary’s combat prowess, Lurid Aura shields them from incoming harm, and Slaughterer’s Might grants them the power to slay their foes. A true Champion of Chaos even gets to ask his gods exactly which gift they desire – and they all stack.
Warriors may also pledge part of their soul to a particular god to receive one of the Marks of Chaos. This results in a boon such as the Ward (4+) against spell and manifestation abilities provided by Tzeentch, to the enhanced wound rolls against Heroes and Monsters bestowed upon those who walk the Undivided path.
Battle Formations
The Slaves to Darkness have many routes to victory, and their hosts practise a variety of martial strategies. The Godswrath Warband prefers an Ironclad Onslaught, and their corrupting influence eats away at those who contest their might.
Other legions are brought together under warlords who put their grudges aside to stake their claim on enemy territory, while savage beasts and monsters will fight with unnatural vitality under the command of a Daemon Prince. The mortal Darkoath chieftains are charismatic commanders, their terrible battle cries calling reinforcements forward to flood the battlefield with fresh waves of their kin.
Arcana and Incantations
To throw your lot in with the Ruinous Powers is to risk eternal damnation – but for sorcerers these pledges result in powerful magic that can be exploited for immediate gain. With Daemonic Speed they can imbue themselves or allies with great haste.
With the Dark Tongue, they beseech their patron to curse opponents at the cost of suffering harm themselves, or even summon writhing tendrils of chaos energy to entrap their foes.
Unit Focus
The Everchosen may be the most well known champion of Chaos, but it is Be’lakor who holds the title of First. His rise to power was legendary, and his fall from grace even more storied still. He now aims to ascend to godhood via a meticulously arranged web of shadowy schemes.
The Dark Master entraps his puppets within these threads of treachery, and he can tug at them at will, kneecapping even his greatest foes at a crucial point.
His Shadow Form makes him tough to pin down, and nullifies all modifiers to his save rolls. Only when he is sure that victory is assured will he spring his Deadly Trap, providing a chance for himself and up to two allies to strike first and wrongfooting unwary opponents.
Those who have conquered the Path to Glory may ascend to daemonhood. The handful of souls who survive this process with their sense of self intact are tyrants who embody Chaos itself, and with Ruinous Favour, they can direct their masters’ gaze onto allies.
It is not uncommon for Daemon Princes to sprout wings. Others instead opt to festoon themselves with trophy racks, on which rest The Mounted Skull of the Fallen, a grim reminder of their unparalleled skills in combat.
Among the greatest warriors in the ranks of the Slaves to Darkness are the Chaos Knights – former nobility of the tribes and kingdoms ground under the blackened steel heel of the forces of Chaos, they ride into battle on muscled destriers armed with lances cursed by foul energies.
Their Impaling Charge is the stuff of nightmares and more than enough to skewer multiple enemies with increased rend and damage.
Not all Chaos worshippers are so keenly aware of the powers that they serve. The Darkoath tribes often worship aspects of the Chaos gods as guardian spirits; pledging oaths to them and receiving boons in response. Darkoath Marauders undertake the Oath of the Marauder, throwing themselves into combat with a vigour that helps them carve through armour.
Their attempts to earn favour extend even to sacrifice in the face of great adversity, and each marauder is willing to fight to a Glorious Death, lashing out with one final savage attack and inflicting mortal damage while under the watchful eye of a nearby Darkoath Hero.
The Word from the Studio
John: “The Slaves to Darkness faction pack gives every player the ability to fine-tune their Chaos horde in any manner they like. There are options for monstrous armies led by a ferocious Daemon Prince – who have had a huge glow-up – and hordes of Darkoath streaming onto the battlefield in endless waves.
“Critical as ever are the Marks of Chaos. Want your cavalry to hit with the force of a rampaging Bloodcrusher? Mark of Khorne! Want your Infantry to be tougher to beat in combat? Mark of Nurgle! Worried about massive damage from spells from certain pointy-eared wizards? Mark of Tzeentch! Need to be there before the risk of becoming square? Mark of Slaanesh! The Slaves to Darkness are as flexible as they are varied and ready to (re)conquer the Mortal Realms under the banner of the almighty Archaon – or Be'lakor, depending on your loyalties.”
Spearhead Spotlight
Chaos Lords who are nearing the final stretch of the Path to Glory will attempt to surmount that final hardship by taking a selection of their most powerful servants on a quest around the realms to perform feats of spectacular violence to guarantee their ascension to daemonhood.
These Bloodwind Legions count amongst their number Chaos Knights armed with ensorceled lances, who thunder into combat alongside a Chaos Chariot. They are all keenly aware of the Eye of the Gods watching them, and once per round they can implore the four Ruinous Powers to grant them a boon if they are contesting an objective they do not control or have destroyed an enemy unit. This means by the time you get to the later battle rounds, the Slaves to Darkness can have some seriously powerful units, flushed with the power of the Dark Gods.
Chaos Warriors are the backbone of these roving warbands, splitting into two units of five to better spread their aptitude for spilling blood. These Bringers of Desolation are especially effective when wading into combat to take objectives off their foes.
Tomorrow, the last Destruction army gets its Faction Focus – it’s time for the Ironjawz to lead their Waaagh! into the new edition in an avalanche of brutal muscle and rampaging porcine cavalry.
*With the ascension of the Great Horned Rat there are now five Chaos Gods, but this is a recent turn of events.
