We conclude our investigation of the Warriors of Chaos today with a closer look at the two new Armies of Infamy, and at other particularly thematic rules.
Danny: Of the two Armies of Infamy we feature in this Arcane Journal, the Wolves of the Sea represents the early stages of the Chaos resurgence, focusing on Marauders and Beastmen as allies, all jumping off wolfships and plundering the lands of Man.
JTY: It’s the tribes. The main focus is on Marauders, rather than Chaos Warriors. It builds up their role as a fearsome barbarian horde. You can pay points to make them Ambushers, which is very powerful on an army-wide basis.
There are a couple of additional profiles exclusive to this army: Huscarls are better Marauder Horsemen, while Berzerkers are a skirmishing unit which adds some very useful flexibility. Both units offer additional viability with improved statlines, and also the opportunity to kitbash. We have made box-outs with recommendations in the book, though they are designed to be made from existing kits. We hope that you paint them differently, give them different heads and shields, or swap their weapons for something bigger and spikier!
Huscarls are particularly interesting, as they grant you a heavier cavalry unit than regular Horsemen, with the opportunity to wear Heavy Armour and ride in Close Order. Combine that with Furious Charge and Counter Charge, you have a very economical hard-hitting unit with real pace – especially if you also pay to make them Drilled. Berzerkers, on the other hand, are there to stack Attacks, with Frenzy and the opportunity to equip an additional hand weapon each. As Relentless Warriors, they also benefit from a 6+ Ward save – handy in a pinch.
The rest of the rules are there to add character to the Army.
Danny: I think the Warriors’ Duel in particular is evocative. It gives Chaos players something to be excited about, and it’s a characterful way to throw down the gauntlet and determine who gets first turn. You can even take a small advantage by killing off an enemy champion. Likewise, every time you win a challenge you get to roll on the Gaze of the Gods table, which is so thematic.
Skin Wolves are returning in Forge World resin, and they’re another unit that fits very well into the Wolves of the Sea. They’re absolute glass hammers with Movement 7 and Weapon Skill 5 – so they’re pretty much the opposite of Trolls, who are ponderous and hard to shift. Skin Wolves move quickly and hit like a truck, but they will fall over if your foe commits the right forces.
You can change their profiles via their Warped Flesh rule to gain extra Attacks, extra AP, or additional Armour and Toughness, and sacrifice their damage output for survivability. They’re an adaptable unit, which is the whole Norscan thing – taking the idea of Berzerkers and Ulfwereners to their dark conclusion.
Danny: The other Army of Infamy is the Heralds of Darkness, which is an ultra-elite army depicting bands of cavalry roaming the Chaos Wastes and preying on the weak. We wanted to give people permission to make this list – partly by cutting down on the composition options. It’s significantly more restricted than normal – it’s a small, hard-hitting force which can’t take screening units or skirmishers, but if you want to conquer the world under the pounding hooves of black-armoured Chaos Knights, this is the force for you.
JTY: It’s very on-theme for a great champion of Chaos to lead a core of Chosen Knights. We’re re-releasing the iconic plastic Chaos Warriors and Chaos Knights – all mystery, discipline, and menace. The key difference between these guys and the more finely armoured Chaos Warriors from Warhammer Age of Sigmar is this: the latter are what Chaos looks like when they’ve won. Ours are rough and ready brawlers from the Realm of Chaos, rather than the gloriously baroque warriors of Chaos victorious from the Mortal Realms.
Danny: The two Armies of Infamy are polar opposites. At the moment, Chaos armies tend to be quite balanced with elements of warriors and marauders. These play the ends of the spectrum: the Wolves of the Sea can bring a heck of a lot of miniatures to the table for a Chaos army.
JTY: We are deliberately staying away from mono-god lists. That’s the Chaos of the End Times, when the gods’ power has waxed strong. In our period, Undivided is in the ascendant, the pantheon as a whole.
Chosen Chariots are a classic unit upgrade for the Heralds. Just as a Chosen is an upgrade for an ordinary Warrior or Knight, these chariots are one of the bonuses you get for going all-Knights – you get even more horrific chariots.
The Warpfire Dragon is another returning Warhammer Forge miniature available for the Warriors of Chaos Grand Army, bringing yet more monstrous destructive energy to the battlefield. We don’t have any plans to bring back the War Mammoth currently, however.
I think I’m just happy with Chaos in general. It’s a very solid force with lots of options. Chaos Lords are as terrifying as they should be, and Sorcerers are as powerful as they should be. You have a nice spectrum between Marauders in great numbers who aim to dogpile the enemy, and Chaos Warriors who are decent heavy infantry. Chosen Warriors are better, and Knights are better yet. Chosen Knights are terrifying, as are Chariots. Fundamentally, there’s nothing in the Chaos roster that I feel is bad – everything does a job.
Danny: The Chaos Lord on a Dragon is undoubtedly very powerful at present, especially if you spec him to murder everything he touches. But there is counterplay – there’s magic you can look at, and a magic weapon in the core rulebook called a Dragon Slaying Sword, which I’ve not seen too many of. Bretonnia has a few answers, including virtues.
Many factions can bring their own big lord on a Dragon, and those that can’t make up for it by lugging big cannons onto the field…
JTY: They won’t manage it in one shot, but two or three shots should kill a Dragon…
Danny: Remember, a tooled-up Lord on a Dragon is a lot of points (up to 600!) to put in one place. Empire armies can lock them down with Flagellants while their comrades mop up the rest of the enemy – they have a 5+ Ward save and they’re Unbreakable. Pretty good for a unit worth only a few hundred points.
JTY: These dragons have Toughness 6, which is not insurmountable. A Minotaur with a great weapon could cut one in half… I do think that people are beginning to work out how to deal with powerful heroes – but we are watching the scene. This is the level that we want these big monsters to be at, because they’re an investment in money, time, and points – it’s disappointing if it just gets blown off the table by a cannon.
Thanks guys! The Warriors of Chaos will be available to pre-order from tomorrow. Dare you take your first steps on the Path to Glory?