Rhu is back for another preview of Battletome: Beasts of Chaos – honestly, he never actually stopped talking about it – this time looking at some classic units that have been improved in the new book…
Battletome: Beasts of Chaos puts what is, in my opinion, one of the most awesome ranges of models we’ve ever made into the spotlight with a huge host of new rules. As well as combining the beasts into a more coherent and powerful force, loads of warscrolls have been adjusted to work better on the tabletop. And there’s a spell which lets you take control of an enemy Monster. It’s great!
I’ve been poring over the battletome and examining all the changes in detail and, in my opinion, there’re a few models you can’t afford to miss in the new book. If you’re new to Beasts of Chaos, see this as a mini-primer on some top units, while if you’re a scarred and seasoned Beastlord, I’ll be previewing some updated and brand-new rules. So, let’s get stuck in.
I LOVE Bestigor. They’re fast, they’ve got cracking offensive and defensive stats and they look rad. I was, therefore, more than a little delighted to discover they’d gotten a lot better in the new book. Previously, Bestigors got bonuses to hit on units carrying standards – now, they’re more accurate against hordes as well as Order forces of all kinds, and get additional attacks on the charge.
These guys are a fantastic Battleline option if you’re using a Bray Shamanor Beastlord as your general – and they come in the Start Collecting! set.
Gargants have always been some of Warhammer Age of Sigmar’s most exciting Behemoths. In some games, they’re wrecking balls, smashing aside foes (or pocketing them) with brutal abandon. And sometimes, they’ll fall over the first time you try to charge with them and crush your general. In a Beasts of Chaos army, you can now whip your Gargants into fighting harder, allowing them some additional attacks and doubling the potential effectiveness of their ‘eadbutt and kick:
NICE.
Ghorgons are Bullgors the size of Imperial Knights with swords made of bone for hands – and for most, that’s enough. But how do they actually work in the game? Really, really well, actually. Ghorgons have been given a couple of really evil abilities in the new battletome – my favourite allows them to pick up and eat anyone unfortunate enough to be standing next to them. Unit leaders, Liberators with grandhammers, Heroes – it’s all fair game:
Just remember to buy your opponent a drink if you pull this off on their general.
Dragon Ogors have some of the coolest new lore in the Beasts of Chaos battletome, having once inhabited Azyr before Sigmar purged it for Order. As befits these storm-wrought juggernauts from a time before time, they hit on a 3+ now:
If you’re taking a Shaggoth general, they’ll also work as a durable Battleline option for your army. Speaking of which…
When building a Beasts of Chaos army, it’s often hard to pick between another Monster, another Wizard, or another Hero – so you might as well just grab a Shaggoth and get all three. Shaggoths have even been given a spell lore of their own in the new book – I’ve found Sundering Blades works fantastically with basically anything you apply it to:
You can also use him to cast your endless spells – more on that tomorrow…
Bullgors are brilliant – they’re basically wrecking balls made of meat, horns and anger. I’ve always found them a really fun option for a potential Battleline unit (and not just because they’re super easy to paint!). In the new battletome, Bullgors can regenerate lost wounds with allegiance abilities, deal mortal wounds with Bloodgreed and have been given a couple of additional attacks to represent their goring horns.
These are small but welcome changes that I’ve found really help boost the offensive bite of your bulls.
Centigors are Brayherd at last – and they’re really good! These guys have had their profile tweaked with some extra attacks, as well as the ability to boost their to hit rolls – as well as any to hit rolls taken against them.
These guys are incredibly fast and are a fantastic way to wrap up enemy ranged units and war machines while the rest of your army gets to work.
Remember Tzaangor Enlightened? Remember how you can field them on foot and leave their discs free for cool conversions?* Well, now they cost fewer points on foot – making them a pretty nifty little option!
I find Tzaangor Enlightened a really solid alternative to Bestigors and a fantastic way to shred armoured units – drop a few behind your enemy lines with a Beastlord and you’ll cause utter carnage.
Last, but very far from least, Great Bray-Shamans! With six new spells to play with (not counting endless spells), Great Bray-Shamans add loads of flexibility to your army, whether they’re melting enemy armour or hijacking enemy Monsters:
As far as I’m concerned, every decent Beasts of Chaos list starts with at least one of these.
There are even more little changes to look out for in the new battletome – not to mention all the synergies with Greatfrays, Marks of Chaos and so on – which you’ll be able to discover for yourself. In the meantime, make sure to come back tomorrow, when I’ll be previewing the endless spells as well as writing some cool lists to get your army started.
Thanks, Rhu! All of the units here are available online right now – order yourself some today.
* Psst – here’s a fun tip – as all Tzaangors have compatible arms, you can use your spare spears from a set of Skyfires to convert “ordinary” Tzaangors into Enlightened.
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
