Today we are getting back in the swing of reviewing the Path to Glory rules for each Age of Sigmar faction. The Fyreslayers are one of the smaller factions in AoS (in terms of model count anyway). Let’s see how in depth their Path to Glory rules get!
Army Special Rules:
The special rules for the stunties revolve around collecting gold. The first effect is that if you have a certain amount of gold in your treasury your warlord earns bonus renown. If you want to play in an un-fluffy manner you can even spend this gold to get a variety of effects including: having all units in your army increase their bravery to 10 for one battle, guaranteeing a certain type of territory on your next exploration roll, or adding an artifact of power to your vault.
Now, how do you earn gold? the process is a little complicated. After each battle you generate a new random Mercenary Contract. This contract rewards you with a certain amount of gold for beating another army of a specific alliance (Death, Order, Chaos, Destruction). After you complete a few contracts your reputation goes up allowing you haggle for more gold, while risking losing D6 reputation on a roll of a “1”. You really want to keep a good reputation though as, if it sinks too low, your units will start deserting you. Also note you can refuse contracts for now penalty, as some contracts can lower your reputation, even by completing them.
Quests:
There are four quests to choose from here. The first two are fairly standard options. One adds mount traits and the other sets up the custom mission. The third option rewards you for beating an opponent who was similar to another one that previously beat you. After you suffer a Major Defeat you write down your opponent’s name and army. You complete the quest by beating an army with any of the following traits: It was from the same alliance, faction and/or player that previously beat you. You gain an additional d6 Glory points for each. The last quest triggers against Skaven or Gloomspite enemies. If you beat them, you can get additional renown, especially for your warlord.
Custom Mission:
The custom mission is set around the idea that you are reclaiming an occupied hold. To do so you must run to the middle of the board (where your opponent starts, and rekindle the flames of three objectives. As part of this mission you have to use the Tunnel Fighting rules which is neat. Also the Fyreslayer player gets to pick who goes first, rather then having to go first or second which is a nice bonus. The rewards are quite generous for the Fyreslayer player. They can get a good amount of gold as well as an artifact of power, determined by rolling a d3.
Veteran Abilities:
The veteran abilities introduce some new concepts. One idea I like makes a unit an “Honor Guard” for a character getting a buff to Hit and Wound rolls while they are nearby (once per battle of course). Other options increase rend or damage which is always useful. Really there is only one mediocre option with provides a 6+ ward save once per battle. All the others are pretty good, especially one that allows you to make a 3d6 roll for a charge!
Territories:
The Fyreslayers get some really good territory options (so you might want to spend some gold here). You can get territories that give you a free Magmadroth or free gold after each battle. There is a risk-reward option that can grant a unit free renown and reputation, though you may take casualties. Lastly you have a few options that provide powerful buffs to your priests or Ur-Gold runes!
Conclusion:
I think the writers did a good job of nailing the Fyreslayers here. This army feels very dwarf-y in its rules and bonuses, and you could adapt these rules for a more standard Cities of Sigmar dwarf army too. I think these rules are a strong addition without a lot of obvious weaknesses. I hope GW can keep it up with these great narrative rules.
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