Games Workshop Warhammer AoS - Soulblight Gravelords Deathrattle Skeletons

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I’ve always felt however that they don’t really belong to Age of Sigmar, they’re borrowed from old Warhammer and ever since the setting was created they’ve felt like a fish out of water, allowed to linger on in the new setting because we’re all too polite to tell them that the setting they belong to burned to the ground six years ago and they weren’t on it. Whilst some of the other old world survivors, Morathi for instance, or Nagash himself, have really grown into their new roles these two old timers never really seemed to fit. Introducing new vampire characters has only emphasised this divide. I suppose BelladammaVolga could almost come riding across the steps of Kislev and perhaps Lauka Vai might lurk on some lonely island off the coast of Lustria or Naggaroth, but really these are creatures of the new Realms – and Neferata and Mannfred belong to the old. Perhaps as the new range beds in I’ll change my mind, or perhaps they’ll just be allowed to live out their days quietly on the shelves of Games Workshop stores until the Old World project is finally unveiled and they’re able to find their way home at last. So far, we’ve covered the Stormcast Eternals, Orruk Warclans, and Slaves to Darkness, but today, it’s time to cover our first Death faction. In the days and weeks to come, we’ll be bringing you more of these overviews, designed to be informative for both newer and experienced players alike. On that note, let’s learn a little bit more about these deathless servants of Nagash. Who Are the Soulblight Gravelords? Cortek - Cold-Iron King - Dark Lord of Despair - Halgorax - Jade Skull Emperor - Oleksander Halgrim - Realmreaver Lord - Sarpa - Sepulchral Guard ( Prince of Dust - Champion - Harvester - Warden) - Yaros It’s replacement meanwhile is a joy to behold, although that might in part be a reaction the years of suffering that we fans of the undead have endured at the cold dead hands of its predecessor. The zombies therein appear to be both full of character and fairly versatile – perfect for building up an undead hoard. Nor is this element entirely unique, my first thought when I saw them was of the Tribe of Sarrassa from the game Hate, although those guys really were more tree than corpse.

Skeletal steeds can be hard to pull off but they haven’t put a foot wrong here. He’s a very detail heavy miniature but they’ve shown the sense not to add lots of extraneous flourishes so that every one of those details feels necessary and adds to the personality of the model overall. The result is a very conservative design, rather than one which is littered with unique “Games Workshop only” elements, the kind of thing which doesn’t quite work in practice but which no-one else is doing which they so often allow themselves to be tempted by. What’s particularly impressive is the way in which this model is an almost perfect copy of the old Wight King model (a theme which we’ll be revisiting time and again as we look through these releases). Each group of 10 contains options to assemble one Standard Bearer and one Skeleton Champion armed with a mace or halberd The outgoing zombies kit (below) was hard to love. Like all zombies it kept shambling on long after it should have been laid to rest but at long last it’s suffered the metaphorical headshot to put it in its grave (and this time it can damn well stay there!). The Wight Kings rule huge empires, known as Deathrattle Kingdoms, from their barrow thrones, tomb palaces and mortuary keeps. Their followers were once the citizens of living and vital kingdoms that have been destroyed by war, pestilence or simply the ravages of time. Many of the inhabitants of these empires still act much as they did when they were living, toiling silently to build and maintain cities and towns, clear woods and forge weapons and tools. [1] MilitaryA Wight King was once a mighty and brutal warlords that were buried after their deaths in tombs, protected by shamanistic spells from thieves and looters. Some of these tombs where built where dark magic flows and pools, and many Wight Kings rest uneasily in these accursed places. When this dark magic grows strong these undead king rise from their crypts as Wight Kings, their eyes glowing with unnatural life. [2] [3] [4] Role Forcing myself to be objective, and putting my personal prejudices aside, the old ones weren’t bad models, especially for their time – but they just don’t match up to the new breed at all. Wight Kings are the rulers of the Deathrattle Kingdoms. While they have lost their sense of morality, their hunger for conquest and war has not and their tactical acumen remains as sharp as ever. Thus unburdened by doubt and weariness, the Deathrattle phalanxes react instantly to their lord’s commands. [5b] When the Deathrattle Skeletons rise from the graves of the ancient world, things have gone seriously wrong for the living!

In the Age of Sigmar, Soulblight Vampires serve Nagash as some of his foremost generals, a few among them even ruling vast swathes of Shyish as his Mortarchs . They lead vast hordes of skeletal warriors and freshly raised walking corpses into battle. The advance of the Soulblight Gravelords is heralded by the howls of Dire Wolves , even as the flapping wings of Fell Bats blot out the light – a sure sign that death has come for those who would stand against Nagash’s will. When you raise an army of the dead, you need plenty of skeletons to help your cause. These once dead warriors make up a large portion of the armies, so get out your best necromancy book and let’s learn about some lore! In the World When the Deathrattle Skeletons march to war, they do so unlike any other force of Death. While the hordes of the Flesh-eater Courts are rushing about like a mindless rabble. Deathrattle Skeletons march in perfect coherency. Tight and disciplined ranks of ancient armour and spears fight as an undead wall against their foes. This is of course because the Deathrattle Skeletons are nothing more but mindless automatons. Morale is no issue, new recruits can just be pulled from the ground and death is never the end. So long as their Wight King still commands them, Deathrattle Skeletons will never stop coming for their enemies. On the FieldMuch like bats wolves get a bad press. Despite being pretty much harmless unless you’re a sheep wolves have carved out a special place in European nightmares, ready at any moment to set upon hapless peasants, blow up the houses of little pigs or dress up as people’s grandmothers. These wolves navigate neatly around the debate over whether we should live in existential dread of these animals by being zombies – and everything is scary once it’s a zombie! Personally I like these new wolves, they have a nice sense of movement to them and the poses look suitably hungry and predatory. Games Workshop have really struggled to sculpt decent looking wolves in the past but with these, and BelladammaVolga (below) they’ve at last managed to pull off something quite stylish. All the trailing drool is a bit unnecessary and over-eggs things a bit but it’s nothing a hobby knife won’t cure.