Age of Sigmar/Tactics/Order/Kharadron Overlords

Get ready to play some Dwarf Fortress in the sky! The Kharadron Overlords are one of the first truly "new" factions introduced to Age of Sigmar since the Stormcast Eternals, and are also one of the most radically different from other AoS armies in play style, with so much focus on vehicles, guns, and tech that you could be forgiven for thinking they are a 40k army at first glance.

Why Play Kharadron Overlords

• Because you want to bring mad science and a lot of guns to the Age of Sigmar swords and sorcery fight.

• Because you want to laugh maniacally while you bomb melee armies to oblivion with an air navy.

• Because this is arguably the first new faction in Age of Sigmar that is undeniably awesome.

• Because you've waited over 20 years for Squats, and you're gonna take what you can get.

• Because (and this is the important one) they are steampunk power-armored sky pirate dwarfs.

Allegiance Abilities

Armies with the KHARADRON OVERLORDS allegiance have the following ability:

STICK TO THE CODE:

When you choose a Kharadron Overlords army that isn't a Sky Port (more on that in a bit) Can choose an Artycle (which this author thinks is a stupid wording) Amendment, and Footnote from the tables below, Alternatively you can roll a dice for each table.

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Artycle:

1.Defend Your Territory: you can re-roll battleshock tests for your units if they are fully within your Deployment zone

2.Honour Is Everything: You can re-roll any hit rolls and wound roles of 1 for your Heroes if their target is a Hero or Monster. Barak-Zon has this by Default

3.Master of the Skies: Re-roll hit and wound rolls of 1 for your unit if your target can fly. Barak-Zilfin has this by default.

4.Respect Your Commanders:re-roll battleshock tests if your units are within 8" of a Hero from your army. Barak-Nar has this by Default.

5.Seek New Prospects:Re-roll battleshock tests for your units if they are within your opponents deployment. Barak-Urbaz and Barak-Mhornar has this by default

6.Settle The Grudges:When both armies are set up, select an enemy unit. Your army can re-roll hit and wound rolls of 1 against that unit. Barak-Thyryng has this by default.

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Amendment:

1.Always Take What You Are Owed:Your army can include one additional artefact of power. Barak-Urbaz has this by default.

2.Don't Argue With The Wind:When you run with a Skyvessel, you are always considered to have rolled a 6. Barak-Zilfin has this by default.

3.Leave No Duardin Behind:A unit that failed a battleshock test and is 7" of your armies Skyvessel can roll a dice for each model that flees, on a 5 or 6 you no longer flee. Barak-Zon has this by default.

4.Prosecute Wars With All Haste:On your first turn, you can run AND shoot. Barak-Mhornar has this by default.

5.Trust Aethermatics, Not Superstition:Your Heroes can try to unbind a spell just like a wizard in the hero phase. If they already have this ability (i.e. the Atheric Navigator) then they can unbind two spells instead. Barak-Nar has this by default.

6.Trust To Your Guns:Units from your army add 1 to their bravery as long as there's no enemies within 3" of them. Barak-Thryng has this by default.

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Footnote:

1.Surrender is Rarely Profitable:Once per battle, if you must take a battleshock test for a unit. you can replace the roll with a 1 instead.

2.There's No Reward Without Risk:Once per battle, you can re-roll the charge distance for one of your units.

3.There's No Trading With Some People:Once per battle, if your opponent suffers an unsaved wound from one of your units attacks, roll a d3, the enemy unit will suffer that many additional mortal wounds.

4.Today's Foes Are Tomorrow's Customers:Once per battle, if one of your units retreats and runs, you can replace the run roll with a 6.

5.Without Our Ships We Are Naught: Once per battle, you can re-roll the dice for an ability that heals a Skyvessel.

6.These Are Just Guidelines:Once per game, during the hero phase, you can change your Artycle by rolling a dice. If you roll an Artycle that requires you to pick an enemy you do so immediately. your previous artycle is no longer in effect.

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Alternatively a player with the KHARADRON OVERLORDS Allegiance can instead choose to represent one of the Six Major Sky-Ports. Each one has their own fixed interpretation of the code, however the player is given access to:

• A unique Footnote to that city

• An option to select a second footnote from the table aside from "These Are Just Guidelines" (Barak-Mhornar is the exception to this rule)

• A unique command trait or artifact

• A special ability

• An additional unit to add to a Battalion

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Barak-Nar:

Uses the following Code:Respect Your Commanders, Trust Aethermatics, not Superstition

As well as access to the following:

• Footnote: Through Knowledge, Power: Once per battle, each of your Heroes can attempt to unbind an additional spell in the opponents hero phase.

• Ability: Scholars and Commanders: Add 1 to any unbinding rolls made for Barak-Nar Heroes.

• Command Trait:Champion of Progress: Friendly Barak-Nar units within 3" of your general do not have to take battleshock tests.

• A Barak-Nar Iron Sky Command Battalion can have any number of Aetheric Navigators.

Barak-Zilfin:

Uses the following code: Master Of The Skies, Don't Argue With The Wind

As well as access to the following:

• Footnote: There's Always A Breeze If You Look For It: Once per game, during the hero phase, one Skyvessel can move as if it were the movement phase (unless it used the Aetherspheric Endrins) It also cannot run, afterwards it is allowed to act normally, including embarking/disembarking units in the hero phase.

• Ability: Superlative Sailors: Whenever a Barak-Zilfin Skyvessel suffers a mortal wound, roll a dice, it ignores it on a six. You're not gonna use this much but it's nice to have since usually you can't save against mortal wounds.

• Artefact of Power: Aetherspheric Endrins:Basically Deep striking airships. Pick one Skyvessel It and the units it carries are now in reserve. At the beginning of your hero phases (including the first one) you can place the Ship anywhere within 9" away from the enemy units, Units inside the Skyvessel can disembark from the ship normally but must be placed 9" away from the enemy units the turn that it descends. If the vessel does not appear at the end of the game, it and the occupants are considered slain.

• A Barak-Zilfin Iron Sky Squadron can include up to one unit of Endrinriggers for each Arkanaut Frigate in the battalion. because you REALLY WANT YOUR SHIPS TO BE FLYING

Barak-Zon:

Barak-Urbaz:

Barak-Mhornar:

Uses the following Code: Seek New Prospects:, Prosecute Wars With All Haste,

• Unique Footnote: Who Strikes First, Strikes Hardest:Once per battle, in your hero phase, one of your units can attempt to charge as if it was your charge phase, or pile in and attack as if it was your attack phase.

May chose an additional footnote, which CAN be These Are Just Guidelines.

As well as access to the following:

• Ability: Fearsome Raiders: Enemy units that take a battleshock within 3” of a Barak-Mhornar unit at 1 to the roll. Awesome.

• Command Trait: Opportunistic Privateers: In your shooting can pick an enemy unit as your target. All units within 3” of the general who fire at that target re roll misses. Amazing.

• A Barak-Mhornar Grundstok Escort Wing can include one additional Gunhauler. Meh

Barak-Thryng:

Warscrolls

The common keywords for these warscrolls are: ORDER, DUARDIN, and KHARADRON OVERLORDS

Leaders

• Brokk Grungsson:
• Arkanaut Admiral: Adds a nice buff to nearby Kharadron, but is mostly focused on being a combat character. He also allows the Skyvessle he is embarked in to run and shoot. Very nifty.
• Aetheric Navigator:Allows Skyvessels to move an extra d3". He has the ability to half the movement of any enemy unit with fly who starts their movement within 18". The Navigator is also the only source of spell unbinding without the use of a relic. Dubious usefulness in a competitive scenario.
• Aether Khemist:Gives a nearby unit an extra attack for their weapons. Stick him in a Skyvessel with some Thunderers and laugh at your opponent's tears. Or treat him to the Aethershock Earbuster relic for some serious horde killing potential.
• Endrin Master:Can heal a Skyvessel for D3 wounds every hero phase, a nice addition to any Ironclad.

Battleline

• Arkanut Company:These guys aren't great at shooting or combat (Not to say that they're useless, they can definitely win fights against other cheap units, just don't expect them to take a unit of Liberators head-on) and their Battleshock is terrible. But they're cheap as chips and hold objectives fairly well (they're also good at being ablative wounds for your more expensive units). The Company can also take three heavy weapons per. ten men - you have a choice of: Skypike (range 2", 2 attacks, 4+ hit, 4+ wound, -2 rend, D3 damage), Light Skyhook (range 24", 1 attack, 4+ hit, 3+ wound, -2 rend, D3 damage), and Aethermatic Volleygun (range 18", 6 attacks, 5+ hit, 4+ wound, -1 rend, 1 damage). The Skypike adds a nice bit of punch to an otherwise squishy unit in combat, and the Skyhook has excellent range for when sitting on backfield objectives. The Aethermatic Volleygun is unfortunately not that useful, despite havign six attacks, because of it's poor hit and wound stats.
• Alternatively, if you have 3 volleyguns on one unit, you can pull out 18 shots in one full volley, which is a lot coming from just three dudes.

Behemoths

• Arkanaut Frigate: The bulk of any Skyfleet, a basic transport and gunboat. Can carry up to 15 Duardin, but for each man over 10 it loses an inch of it's movement characteristic. Armed with hull-mounted Aethershot Carbines (12" range, * attacks, 3+ hit, 4+ wound, -1 rend, 1 damage). And it can take a heavy weapon on it's forecastle, you can choose between a Heavy Skycannon (18" range, 1 attack, 4+ hit, 2+ wound, -2 rend, D6 damage), and Heavy Skyhook (18" range, 1 attack, 4+ hit, 3+ wound, -2 rend, D3 damage) and if a unit is wounded by the Skyhook the Frigate can move D6" towards it.
• Arkanaut Ironclad:

Other

• Grundstok Thunderers: They start with a basic gun, the Aethershot Rifle (18" range, 2 attacks (The gunnery sergeant makes 4 attacks instead of 2), 3+ hit, 4+ wound, -1 rend, 1 damage) and have access to a selection of interesting weapons of varying power and stupidity, they are as follows: Aetheric Fumigator (9" range, D3 attacks, 3+ hit, 2+ wound, -1 rend, 1 damage), Decksweeper (12" range, D6 attacks, 4+ hit, 4+ wound, -1 rend, 1 damage), Aethercannon (12" range, 1 attack, 4+ hit, 2+ wound, -2 rend, D3 damage), and the Grundstok Mortar (36" range, 1 attack, 4+ hit, 3+ wound, - rend, D3 damage). The Fumigator is good for units that aim to get close, the Decksweeper is useless, the Aethercannon is a massive damage dealer, and the Mortar can take light infantry at excellent range.
• Grundstok Gunhauler:A support fighter for your airfleet, has a good damage output and movement value and neither are effected by wounds taken, which is good because this thing can take wounds off of any other non-Gunhauler Skyvessel withing 3" on a roll of 5+. It can be armed with either a Skycanon (18" range, 1 attack, 4+ hit, 2+ wound, -2 rend, D6 damage) or a Drill cannon (18" range, 1 attack, 4+ hit, 3+ wound, -3 rend, 3 damage), both are equally good choices so just pick whichever you think your army needs most.
• Endrinriggers:
• Skywardens:

Tactics

General Tactics

• Take a Khemist. Always. +1 shots to a unit of Thunderers? Yes please.
• Thunderers, I love them, you love them, chances are your opponent doesn't. Let's talk about a few loadouts: All Mortars gives you good anti-infantry at long range, which frees your Arkanaut Companies from having to fight them, and your Skyvessels wasting their high-strength shots on them. Their range is so incredible by Kharadron standards that they don't even need a Skyvessel transport, just sit them in your deployment zone and fire away. Aethercannons spell doom for any tough models within in 12" bubble, adding a Fumigator or two to the unit will also deter potential charging.

Barak Zilfin Tactics

• Aetherspheric Endrins lets you essentially Deep Strike an Ironclad. Fill it with Thunderers, a Khemist, some Arkanauts to be their meatshields and probably some Endrinriggers because this thing is going to be target priority number 1.
• There's Always A Breeze If You Look For It then gives you the ability to move another Skyvessel up the field incredibly quickly to support your Deep Striking Skyvessel (Bringing a Gunhauler 24" up to support your badass Ironclad seems like a good plan all around)

Barak Mhornar Tactics

My take on how to use some of Barak-Mhornars abilities. Starting with the command trait Opportunistic Privateers. In your shooting phase you select one enemy unit and any of your units who target that unit and are within 3" of your general can re-roll misses. This ability is amazing. It makes weapons that seem underwhelming such as Volly guns much more viable. For example, your Arkanaut Company targets a hero or Monster giving them +1 to hit (now on 4+) then re-rolling those misses with the command trait and suddenly your 18 shot -1 rend 1 damage are going to do some serious damage. This translates well to other units of course, Your Thunderers with mortars and a Khemist who has this command trait are firing 2 shots each at 36" range re-rolling their misses. Serious damage potential here.

Our Artycle Seek New Prospects allows you to re-roll battleshock tests while in your opponent's territory. This ability is very dependent on what you are facing. Against other ranged armies this may be useful as you move up or if you need to secure an objective on the other side of the board. Most of the time however this will not be very useful. Luckily we are the only Barak with access to These are Just Guidelines allowing you to swap your Artycle in the hero phase. Some people are saying you must roll for it while others say you may pick so its a bit up in the air at the moment. Either way it gives you the opportunity to potentially get something more useful.

Prosecute at all haste allows your units to run and shoot in the first turn. Add in an Iron Sky Squadron battalion for +1 to the attacks of all missile weapons on the frigates. You now have 2 frigates with the fire power of 4 for a turn. Add in the command ability from your general and you have some reliable and dangerous shooting for a turn.

Building an Army

Unfortunately, Kharadron Overlords seem to be a more expensive army to start if you really want to get your foot in the door. All Kharadron lists consist of multiple Skyvessels and of course the infantry they carry - which is a large number of kits for what can be a fairly small army, but it can be broken down into manageable chunks easily enough.

If you aren't specifically aiming for a Battalion that requires certain models, a nice and cheap starter army would consist of one of the Leaders (This author highly recommends the Admiral or the Khemist, as they require less experience and knowledge of how Kharadron work to play effectively), a box of Arkanaut Company, and a Frigate. This will be approximately 500 points, and will give you a good feel for how Kharadron play.

How to expand from there is really down to your army direction and budget. There is no real wrong way to collect them.