A new year is almost here, and Nurgle is showing up early with a wet slap. So, Battletome: Maggotkin of Nurgle is coming soon with fresh lore and rules.
Additionally, it lands alongside a big wave of new miniatures going up for pre-order on Saturday. The article’s vibe is clear: spread disease, chant foul prayers, and turn the table into a garden disaster. Meanwhile, the rules changes sound like they reward active board play, not passive turtling.
Blessed by the Plaguefather: Disease Now Reaches Out to 7 Inches
The core identity stays the same. All Maggotkin remain Blessed by the Plaguefather, meaning they infect, spread, and mutate diseases through the game. However, the big change is how you start the infection. Instead of only spreading Disease to something already in combat range, your units can now attempt to Infect an enemy within 7 inches. Additionally, you need a 4+ to make it stick, unless they are already fighting you.
The article even spells out the ability timing and steps. It is once per turn for the whole army at the end of any turn. You pick an enemy unit within 7 inches of any friendly Maggotkin unit. You cannot pick manifestations or terrain features. If the target is in combat with any friendly Maggotkin, it is automatically Diseased. However, if it is not in combat, you roll a die. On a 4+, it becomes Diseased. So, you can now start outbreaks at range, which is nasty against careful deployment.
Ceaseless Infector and Wracked With Disease: Even Dying Spreads the “Gift”
The preview then leans into the damage side. When a unit is Wracked With Disease, the article says it is now always taking damage. Even a roll of 1 on a D3 inflicts mortal damage. So, the disease tick is more reliable and less swingy in the “whiff and do nothing” sense.
Then it introduces a new battle trait for Rotbringers called Ceaseless Infector. It triggers once per turn for the army at the end of any turn. You pick an enemy unit that was in combat with a friendly Rotbringers unit that got destroyed that turn. You cannot pick manifestations or terrain features. Then you roll a die. On a 3+, the target becomes Diseased. So, when your mortal Rotbringers finally get cut down, they still cough up one last problem for the opponent.
Blighted Regrowth and New Gnarlmaw Tricks: Better Ward, Better Rally, and Moving Terrain
The last new battle trait pushes the Maggotkin table identity even harder. Blighted Regrowth lets you resprout a Feculent Gnarlmaw, as long as you are holding an objective. Additionally, it only works if you currently have no friendly Gnarlmaws on the battlefield. In your hero phase, you set up a Gnarlmaw wholly within 12 inches of an objective you control. It must also be more than 3 inches from enemy units, objectives, and other terrain features. So, it is a controlled spawn, but it rewards playing the mission.
These trees also get three new rules, and the article calls them out clearly. First, they now give Rotbringers a 5+ Ward aura within 12 inches, improved from 6+. Second, they help Nurgle Daemon units rally more efficiently. Third, they can actually scuttle around using Tendrils of Corruption.
Tendrils of Corruption happens in any movement phase. For the rest of that phase, the Gnarlmaw becomes Move 3 inches and can immediately move 3 inches. However, it cannot move through or end inside enemy combat ranges. It also cannot end on an objective or another terrain feature. Additionally, the designer note says it cannot run, retreat, or charge. So, it is not a missile, but it is still mobile terrain, which is hilarious and annoying in the best Nurgle way.
Formations, Traits, Artefacts, Spells, and New Prayers: The Highlights
The article says the changes go beyond battle traits. Battle formations, heroic traits, artefacts, and spells are getting remixed. Additionally, there is a new batch of pestilent prayers added to what already existed in Scourge of Ghyran. It does not list everything, but it gives highlights.
The Tallyband of Nurgle changes role. It no longer makes diseases flourish more violently. Instead, during deployment you pick an enemy unit to be a Plague Progenitor. Then, you try to load them up with Disease by rolling 2D3. You succeed if you roll higher than their Health characteristic, or if you roll a flat 6. The article also notes the Plague Progenitor cannot be cured in the first battle round. So, that unit starts the game as a walking problem. Additionally, if you choose to spread the disease, nearby units also take D3 damage. So, it sounds like a way to force an early infection cluster.
The Lore of Virulence gives priests more to do. Gift of Disease makes your priests more resilient. Additionally, on a chanting roll of 10+, they infect nearby enemies. So, high rolls turn your priest into a disease bomb.
Then it spotlights two specific prayers in detail. Favoured Poxes targets a visible enemy within 18 inches. You roll a D6 chanting roll, and on a 4+ it works. Until the start of your next turn, the target suffers minus 2 to charge rolls. However, if you roll 10+, it changes to subtracting 1 die from charge rolls, to a minimum of 1. So, it goes from slowing the charge to making charges far less reliable.
Bloated with Sickness targets a visible friendly non monster Maggotkin unit wholly within 12 inches. It is also a hero phase prayer on a 4+. Until your next turn, you ignore the first point of damage allocated to that unit in each phase. Additionally, on a 10+ you can pick a second eligible unit. So, it is a chunky durability prayer, and it scales hard on big chanting turns.
Summary
This preview makes it clear the new battletome is pushing Maggotkin identity harder, not softer. So, you get a 7 inch Infect attempt on a 4+, which helps you start outbreaks earlier. Additionally, Rotbringers now punish opponents even when they die through Ceaseless Infector on a 3+. Meanwhile, Gnarlmaws look more valuable with a better Ward aura, better rally support, and even a slow terrain shuffle.
The article closes by saying there is more to discover once the book is in hand. Additionally, it teases that tomorrow will focus on the new reeking units joining the army. So, if you love attrition play and mission pressure, the Grandfather is clearly trying to keep you busy in 2026.
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