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The Goreblade Warband And here we are, the other half of the starter set. I admit, in my days as a WHFB player, I never really "got" Chaos. Sure, the sculpts were cool, and even with my mediocre painting ability I could make them look decent on the table, but something about wanting to see the world burn never really resonated with me. I hate to say, but that hasn't changed in Age of Sigmar. It might be the lore side of things -- or, having devoured every bit of the stuff from the Black Library available, I should say that it's definitely the lore side of things. Even Call of Archaon, which I genuinely enjoyed, just made me want the followers of the Dark Gods to die even more. I don't have this problem with Death or Destruction (even if Nagash is a backstabbing ******...) All that baggage aside, though, I cannot deny the effectiveness of Chaos armies on the table. If anything, I appreciate them more for it, as they provide a worthy challenge for my preferred champions of Order. With that in mind, let's take a look at the first battalion of Chaos: the Goreblade Warband. KHORNE BLOODBOUND Goreblade Warband Mighty Lord of Khorne Bloodsecrator Bloodstoker 1 Unit of Blood Warriors 1 Unit of Blood Reavers 1 Khorgorath The Lore: This is a narrative battalion, drawn from the starter set, or, if you prefer, from the pages of The Gates of Azyr. It represents the forces of Khorgos Khul, Mighty Lord of Khorne, tyrant of the Brimstone Peninsula in Aqshy, where Lord Vandus Hammerhand struck the first blow of the Realmgate Wars. According to the novel, the hordes were without count, but on the hand that same novel labels Vandus' Thunderstrike Brotherhood at 10,000, so a grain of salt might be required. In either case, the functional lore for the Goreblade Warband is simple -- a chieftain of Khorne worshiping savages leads his men, including his shaman / standard bearer (Bloodsecrator), a horrific monster (Khorgorath) and its tamer (the Bloodstoker.) Analysis Each unit of this battalion has a specific battlefield purpose. To best utilize the Goreblade Warband, a good general needs to understand those roles and either utilize them or take advantage of the threat they generate to manipulate the enemy out of properly utilizing their army. The Mighty Lord of Khorne: General (obviously), Champion Use this general to hunt down those large, multi-wound enemies your lesser units are too afraid to fight, because if he wounds someone and they survive, his Reality Splitting Axe means that there's a 33% chance that they'll end up being sucked into the Realm of Chaos. Considering his 3+ to both hit and wound and -1 rend, the chances of landing at least one wound is pretty decent; D3 damage means against normal enemies the ability will probably be wasted as it is. Run him into a Lord-Celestant, though, and there is a fairly decent chance that with a couple of turns of fighting that shiny little hero will end up fading away into an eternity of suffering. The Flesh Hound also provides an infinite number of unbinding opportunities, which is neat, and, if that weren't enough, the Gorelord Command Ability gives 3 units within 24" a better chance of landing a long charge. That last bit synergizes particularly well with the Batallion's Blood Rivals ability, which allows units in the battalion to re-roll failed charges if another unit from the batallion has already succeeded in a charge of their own. The Bloodsecrator: Buffing Platform Let's get this out of the way: a Bloodsecrator is useless on his own. If you are relying on a Bloodsecrator to fight for himself, you're doing it wrong. Using this guy effectively means parking him in the middle of your army, out of combat, and opening the Portal of Skulls. Immunity to Battleshock for all Khorne units within 18", and all those units get an additional +1 attack to boot. The only downside is that the Bloodsecrator doesn't get to move, which means that unless he is attacked there will be no combat, hence why you shouldn't be wasting this guy fighting -- doing so would make it so that the portal remains closed, and that's a huge waste of potential. The Bloodstoker: Support melee His whip is insurance for those long charges, which stacks well with the Mighty Lord's Gorelord and the battalion's Blood Rivals abilities. Because he is one of the few units in this battalion with a ranged attack and gains no real advantage on the charge beyond initiative (which is less significant in this case than in others given his 5 wounds), it makes more sense to get in close, take a few cracks with the whip, and then pile into whatever combat his earlier encouragement forced. The 12" range on Whipped to Fury does mean that the Bloodstoker will be in the thick of things, so it's best to make sure he never ends up too exposed. Lore says to use stick him with the Khorgorath-- tactics says that's a decent plan. The fact that that same ability also cause re-rolls on 1's to wound also stacks nicely -- that means that each of the Khorgorath's 5 attacks goes from 67% to wound to somewhere around 75%. The Khorgorath: Hammer If ever there was an example of a hammer unit, it is the Khorgorath. Sure, it can shoot, but only 6", and let's be honest, with 5 3+ 3+ -1 attacks, you want this monster in close combat. If he kills a model, he heals a wound, and if you inflict any wounds (and you will) then every other enemy unit within 12" loses 1 bravery in that turn's Battleshock Phase. In conjunction with the Bloodstoker, that means this unit has a pretty decent chance of wiping a unit (and thus triggering the battalions special +1 attacks clause). The Blood Warriors: Anvil 2 wounds, 4+ save, an ability that punishes enemies when they make a save, and an ability that punishes those same enemies when they don't. No doubt about it -- that is an anvil unit. Stick them where your opponent doesn't want them, and then leave them there. Their 2 attacks aren't great, (3+ to hit, 4+ to wound) but with support from the Bloodsecrator, which you should definitely be taking advantage of, that goes up to 3 attacks, and on turns where the Khorgorath finishes off a unit or one of your Bloodreaver units is wiped out, that's 4. The Bloodreavers: Chaff, Flanking Bloodreavers are an interesting unit. On one hand, they have no save and their bravery is pretty much nonexistent: if they end up in combat they won't last long. In dying, they'll help out the rest of the army by adding an attack for the rest of the turn, so that's something, but they'll still be dead. When within 12" of a deployed Bloodsecrator though, this unit is an absolute monster -- for a full 10 model unit that's 21 attacks. 21. Sure, those attacks are 4+ to hit, 4+ to wound, and no rend, but still, 21 attacks in one turn. TACTICS Overall, the cornerstones of this battalion are extra attacks and charge assuredness. Charge assuredness: Blood Rivals -- Re-roll charge rolls for units in this battalion if another unit from the battalion has already made a successful charge this turn. in conjunction with... Gorelord (3 units roll 3D6 and choose highest 2 numbers on charge roll) and Whipped to Fury (3" increase to a unit within 12"). For Bloodreavers, the hornblower can also add 1 to run and charge rolls. Extra Attacks: Khorne Care not...: If a unit is wiped out, battalion units get an extra attack. Sample Strategy Deployment -- The key to this unit is the Bloodsecrator. With his 18" Portal of Skulls, he can define the use of Bloodreavers and Blood Warriors. Make sure he is in the center of the army from the start. Put the Khorgorath and Bloodstoker on one flank, and the Mighty Lord of Khorne on the other. Opening Moves: Close the gap fast. Run everyone forward, use Gorelord ability on the Reavers and Warriors and Whipped to Fury on the Khorgorath. Spread the line out to maximize coverage, but don't over extend, because the Bloodreavers will get wiped out by missile units and, so weakened, end up crushed by an early charge. Find the scariest enemy unit and charge the Blood Warriors into it. Attack the flanks with the Bloodreavers. Development: Once the Bloodreavers and Blood Warriors are engaged, open the Portal of Skulls, whip the Khorgorath into a frenzy, and hunt down the enemy general with the Might Lord of Khorne. The Khorgorath will do what it does best, the Blood Warriors will hold the line, and the Bloodreavers will die in droves. MATCHED PLAY: YEP NARRATIVE PLAY: ABSOLUTELY OPEN PLAY: SURE Minimum Points (Matched Play): 700 Cost: $165 (Starter Set) Models: 29

Thunderstrike Brotherhood My first experience with Battalions in Aos was with the starter set -- I'd looked into them in 40K before, but never really got into that game, and had already sold my old 8th Edition Lizardmen Army as part of a move from California to Texas. So, when that shiny box art caught my eye, I was in for a surprise... STORMCAST ETERNALS Thunderstrike Brotherhood: Lord-Celestant on Dracoth Lord Relictor 2 Units of Liberators 1 Unit of Retributors 1 Unit of Prosecutors That's right, battalions! True they were just the contents of the Starter set, but to me, they were so much more than that. They were an excuse to role-play my army. I was going to do it anyway, but hey, between the scenarios and the new battalions, I didn't even have to work all that hard at it. Even better, since then, this one has gotten more useful. A big part of that change in usefulness is the new Lord-Celestant on Dracoth warscroll that came with the Extremis Battletome. On the original Lord-Celestant warscroll, there was only one weapon option (the Tempestos Hammer). Sure, it was a good weapon and still is, but more options are always better. That, of course, raises an even more important question: LORD-CELESTANT ON DRACOTH; WHICH WEAPON IS BEST??? Tempestos Hammer (the original choice)-- 2" Range, 3 Attacks (+ D3 on charge), 3+ to hit, 2+ to wound, Rend -1, D3 Damage And the math says... 1. Always Be Charging. No, seriously, D3 extra attacks is really very good. 2. Beware the Tarpits. On the charge, this weapon will average 6 wounds. In the pit, you're looking at only 3. You've got a decent save, but not a huge amount of stamina at only 7 wounds. It might be better to hold back and shoot with the Dracoth's stormbreath, or find a unit already in combat to charge into the rear of. 3. Big, but not too big. Where this weapon really shines is against groups small enough to be broken in a single charge. Against a unit 20 Bloodreavers, for example, you'll probably kill 6 (and then between 2 and 5 more due to battleshock), but after that, you'll still be in the midst of 12 Bloodreavers. You only have 7 wounds, and that's a fair number of attacks coming at your Lord- Celestant. Against a unit of 10, though, you've just wiped the entire unit, more or less. Cavalry are situational tools, and should never be run headlong into a block of anything that won't die quickly. THE VERDICT: Great if you're playing an army with low bravery, but be careful. Better to retreat and live than die in a pit of enemy corpses. ****Thunderaxe (the Team Player) -- 2", 3, 3+, 3+, 2**** Remember everything I just said? Forget it all. 1. Get in there with the men and kill some people. +1 attack for every Stormcast Eternals unit within 5". 2. Shoot at the enemy as they approach, then chop them to bits when they arrive. THE VERDICT: Are you playing against the Skaven or someone who like zombies and skeletons a bit too much? Thunderaxes. lightning Hammer (Saves, what saves?) -- 1", 3, 3+,3+, -1, 2 (+2 Mortal Wounds on 6) Delivers 2 mortal wounds on a 6. Use it on those pesky 3+ save elite infantry and watch your enemies weep. 1. Will literally vaporize chaff units, but is better spent on negating tough enemies -- let your regular troops do something for a change. 2. No need to charge, just wade in and start turning Blood Warriors to ash. THE VERDICT: Best used against armies built around small units of elite soldiers (Ogors, Chaos Warriors, etc.) Stormstrike Glaive (Go for the Eyes!) -- 2", 4, 3+, 4+, -1 (-2 on charge), 1 (3 on charge) You know that annoying Khorgorath that's controlling a quarter of the board? This thing just killed it in one charge. You're welcome. 1. If you aren't charging or retreating, why are you using this weapon? 2. General killer, monster killer, big unit killer. Don't waste time with the chaff. THE VERDICT: If you're opponent is really proud of some big centerpiece model, it will feel even better when you kill it. So...in other words, there is no best weapon. What the options create are opportunities to customize your general to your opponent. The Lord-Celestant's Command Ability, on the other hand, gives me a hint towards the Thunderaxe in general.. If this unit is able to keep it's allies from routing, then it makes more sense for him to be around those allies in combat too. Might as well get a bonus for that, right? But that's enough of that, let's look at that Battalion. General is, of course, the Lord-Celestant. The Lord-Relictor is better for healing than killing. The Liberators hold the line, the Retributors kill things really well, and the Prosecutors run around pelting people in the head from space. Why bother taking the formation? Oh, that's right. The big deal for this Battalion is the Lightning Strike ability, which allows you to hold your troops in reserve and deploy then after the battle starts. That sort of tactical flexibility is priceless, given the relatively small size of a Stormcast army when compared to, say...pretty much everyone else. I'm particularly fond of holding back Retributors until the enemy engages my Liberators, then, while they're bogged down against that shiny shield wall, charging into their rear and watching their puny little units crumble. Prosecutors are also great fun to spring on your opponent, what with their great movement and non-insignificant ranged attack. There's also the Brothers in Arms ability, which gives all units within a 6" range +1 to bravery. That stacks nicely with the Lord-Celestant's Thunderaxe and that 24" battleshock immunity rule. Altogether, these rules mean my general strategy for using this battle is as follows: I. Deploy Lord-Celestant, Lord-Relictor, and Liberators II. ADVANCE!!! Take some potshots with the Lord-Celestant and Lord-Relictor. Charge those Liberators into whatever chaff the enemy offers up. If they play hard to get, drop in those prosecutors and kite them into your lines. III. Drop in those Retributors. Watch your opponent panic under the rear charge, or inability to protect his general. IV. Mop up. No plan ever survives contact with the enemy of course, but this one seems to be a good start. (Happy to hear other strategies in the comments). MATCHED PLAY: NOPE NARRATIVE PLAY: SURE OPEN PLAY: GO FOR IT. Minimum Models (Matched Play): Starter Set (or 22) Minimum Points (Matched Play): 820 Cost: $125 (Starter Set) And... that's it. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Leave a comment, and look for the Goreblade Warband next time!

Hi, I'm Jason, and I really like Battalions. I mean, really like them. For me, Battalions define Age of Sigmar -- more than the drastically simplified ruleset, more than the destruction of the Old World, and more than the radical reinvention of organized play. I was never a tournament player in 8th edition, I can't paint to save my life, and for the majority of the last decade I've been a broke grad student living on ramen and sleep deprivation. Sure, in good old WFB, you could make your army list lore-friendly... If you wanted to lose every game you played. Because guess what? Every game was a competitive game, because that's how the rules worked. There was no incentive outside of self-satisfaction for taking the narrative into account when you built your list. In Age of Sigmar, though, with the death of the Old World and the sudden freedom of army composition, Games Workshop gave us something special. Battalions are narrative list-making made viable. They give you an actual reason to build an army that makes sense -- not just because it will win games (it still probably won't), but because it ties into the wider Warhammer Universe. I know, some people don't care about that, and for you there's matched play, and the tournament scene. For me though, the lore matters. The lore was something I could follow, when I couldn't afford miniatures and had no-one to play with, and if I'm going to spend my time and energy building, converting, painting, and collecting these pointless little plastic soldiers, I want to be a part of that. Right then, enough rambling. This blog is about battalions, and using them as the central structure around which to build an army list. That list might be for tournaments (but probably not). That list might be for open or narrative play (most likely), or it might be something that makes the loremaster in you smile. We'll talk about composition, we'll talk about tactics, and yes, we'll talk about points. Ready to get started? Next time, we're going to be making a quick hop to July of 2015, and the pair of Warscrolls that started this whole mess for me...