The dead rise again—again—and this time they’re bringing friends.
With the Deathrattle Army Set hitting pre-orders, the Soulblight Gravelords are rolling into the Mortal Realms with a brand-new Battletome, some haunting new units, and not one but two Armies of Renown to unchain. Whether you’re a long-time necromancer or a fresh convert to the powers of undeath, there’s a lot to get excited about.
To help guide us through the fog of war (and ward saves), Anthony Magro of the AoS Coach YouTube channel has lent his tactical expertise to show exactly how to get the most out of your freshly dug-up forces.
Resilience, Recursion, and Reaping Souls
At their core, the Soulblight Gravelords are an army defined by one thing: they just don’t stay dead. Between Deathly Invocation returning models, Endless Legion summoning back whole units at half strength, and the Rising Dead enabling flexible deployment from the grave, this army excels at warping the attrition game in your favor.
And don’t forget—every unit in this army gets a Ward save, meaning that even when they do get hit, there’s always a chance they’ll shrug it off. The true strength of the Gravelords doesn’t just lie in their named heroes (though Nagash, Vhordrai, Neferata, and Mannfred are monsters in their own right), but in the grindy reliability of Deathrattle and Deadwalker infantry. Skeletons, zombies, wolves—whatever your flavor of corpse, they’re hard to remove and harder to ignore.
Manifestations and Terrain Tricks
Nagash has cracked open the Black Vaults and offered up some spectral tools in the form of Manifestations of the Grave and the new Cursed Sepulchre faction terrain. The synergy here is tight—Soulblight Wizards can measure spells and effects from the terrain itself, giving you some serious range shenanigans.
Spells like Hand of Nagash allow teleportation, while the Unholy Reliquary can pump up a hero’s melee profile or offer healing. Combat-focused manifestations like Sanguine Swarm dish out mortal wounds on crits, turning simple dice spikes into devastating results. And when you’re bringing units back via Endless Legion, being able to drop them near a Cursed Sepulchre is huge for playing the objective game or setting up flanks.
Flexible Army Building – Formations and Renown
With the new Battletome, there’s more flexibility than ever. Four battle formations encourage tailored lists around specific keywords, while the Barrow Legion and Knights of the Crimson Keep deliver focused themes with brutal effects.
Barrow Knights and Barrow Guard are new melee units that pack Crit (Mortals), and if you run them in the Deathmarch Battle Formation, they can gain +1 Rend when they charge. These units also reanimate models at the end of every turn and get Ward (5+) when led by the right hero.
If you’re leaning into vampires, the Bacchanal of Blood amps up casting and combat. Prince Vhordrai and Blood Knights are the stars here, gaining +1 to wound on the charge, and syncing beautifully with the Vampire Lord on Nightmare Steed, who hands out charge re-rolls and counter-charge opportunities like candy at a blood-feast. It’s not uncommon to see two units counter-charging with re-rolls in a single turn—nasty business for anyone trying to pin you down.
Deadwalkers like Dire Wolves and Zombies also deserve a shout-out. These aren’t just filler—they’re health tanks. With 40 wounds in a reinforced unit and tricks like Run and Charge, they’re an essential part of any board control strategy.
Army of Renown: Barrow Legion
Led by a Wight King, either on foot or steed (who gains the Warmaster keyword in this build), the Barrow Legion focuses on tough, relentless Deathrattle units. The Grave Sentinels ability gives +1 Rend when charged if your units are near a Cursed Sepulchre. All to Dust starts hitting in Round 3, lowering enemy saves as long as your terrain piece is still standing.
The Wight King on Skeletal Steed brings battlefield influence by marking a terrain piece or objective and granting +1 to hit rolls to all nearby Deathrattle. On top of that, you get to hand out three artefacts using Gifts to the Petty Kingdoms, giving you even more ways to buff your heroes and hold the line.
Army of Renown: Knights of the Crimson Keep
This is the cavalry charge of your dreams. Led by Prince Vhordrai, this Army of Renown is about speed, aggression, and hammering the opponent with wave after wave of mounted pain. Carve A Bloody Path lets a Blood Knight unit in combat charge again, which is ridiculous when combined with abilities like Riders of Ruin and charge-triggered buffs.
Spells like Deathly Gale offer 3D6 charge rolls, giving your knights terrifying reach. And the Chalice of the Blood Dragon heals a hero 3D3 wounds once per game, keeping your centerpiece models in the fight longer. Meanwhile, the Vampire Lord on Nightmare Steed’s For Glory! For Blood! lets you re-roll his charge and immediately chain a charge from a nearby Blood Knights unit—even during a counter-charge. That’s a brutal one-two punch most armies aren’t ready for.
Final Thoughts – Soulblight on Your Terms
This Battletome gives you options. Go all-in on magic supremacy with Nagash and a horde of casting units. Unleash the monsters with Lauka Vai and the Revenant Draconith. Mix it up with Vargheists, Coven Thrones, or even the Blades of the Hollow King for elite flair. Whether you prefer attrition, speed, control, or pure melee brutality, Soulblight Gravelords now have the depth to match your playstyle.
The Deathrattle Army Set goes up for pre-order tomorrow, and it’s the perfect jumping-on point for new generals—or a powerful expansion for long-time necromancers. With durability, recursion, spellcasting, and elite threats all wrapped in one army, the Soulblight Gravelords are back and meaner than ever.
Big thanks to Anthony Magro from AoS Coach for the insights. For even more advanced tactics and a full Battletome breakdown, head over to his channel and dive into the darkness. Nagash demands it.
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