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 a big focus on vehicles, guns, and tech.

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

Battle Traits

An army that has KHARADRON OVERLORDS allegiance can use the following rule:

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.

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.

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 Dwarf 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.

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.

Command Traits

A KHARADRON OVERLORDS General in an KHARADRON OVERLORDS allegiance and has chosen to take the KHARADRON OVERLORDS abilities can choose one of the following command traits:

1. Doughty Champion: When your general suffers a mortal wound, roll a dice. On a roll of +5, the wound is ignored. A nice ability to have, but there are better choices here.
2. Fleetmaster: Once both armies are set up, but before the first round begins, redeploy a friendly Skyvessel. It's like being a mini Deceiver
3. Grudgebearer: One of your general's melee weapons gets an extra attack. Well all our Heroes only have one melee profile each, that being said, the only ones who benefit from this trait is the Admiral or the Endrinmaster.
4. Stickler for the Code: You get to roll an additional footnote, you cannot have the same footnote twice, re-roll duplicates. If your general dies before you can use the footnote, then the footnote is lost. A free footnote is always a bonus, especially if you can get your hands on a Grand Armada Battalion. This is also the only other way to get "These Are Just Guidelines" if you're using a port city that isn't Barak-Mhornar. considering your roll is good.
5. Prospector: After both armies have set up pick a terrain feature. As long as your general is alive, your units do not have to take battleshock tests. A pretty solid choice given the armies low bravery, Pick an objective and you should be able to hold ground.
6. Rising Star: units within 7" of your general can use the general's bravery instead of their own when making battleshock tests. Best used on the Admiral

Artefacts of Power

One HERO in your army (+1 per battalion) can take a relic from the following tables:

• Aethermatic Weapons:

1. Hammer of Aethermatic Might:If you wound on a 6 or more with your melee weapon, you cause double damage.
2. Sledgeshock Hammer: Improve a melee weapons wound characteristic by 1.
3. Aethershock Bludgeon:Improve a melee weapons rend characteristic by 1.
4. Gattlesson's Endless Repeater: +2 attacks to a range weapon
5. Aethershock Earbuster: Pick a ranged weapon. If any units models are slain by this weapon, they must take an immediate battleshock test in addition to the test in the battleshock phase. Two Battleshock tests in a row is pretty scary, better put this on the Aetherkhemist.
6. Staff of Occular Optimisation: +1 to hit in the shooting phase

• Treasures of the Sky-ports:

1. Masterwrought Armour: Re-roll saves of 1
2. Balebreath Mask: In the combat phase, pick an enemy unit within 3" and roll a dice, on a +4 that unit suffers a mortal wound.
3. Autotinkerer: In the hero phase, you can attempt to repair a Skyvessel within 3" or one you are embarked on. on a +4 you heal one wound.
4. Aethersight Loupe:You can unbind an enemy spell in the hero phase as if they were a wizard. If they already have this ability, they can roll an additional dice and add it to their total. Because screw your magic.
5. Gimlet Lens: Enemy units can never benefit from modifires to their save or save rolls (like being in cover) from this Heroes attacks. Because Screw your cover.
6. Aethercharged Rune: Once per battle, you can change the result of a single hit, wound, damage, or save roll for this HERO to the result of your choice.

Great Endrinworks

One Skyvessel (+1 per Battalion) in your army can be equipped with the following endrinwork:

1. The Last Word: Pick a ranged weapon. If an enemy finishes a charge within 1/2" of this vessel, you can fire this weapon as if it was the shooting phase.
2. Incredible Self-healing Hull: Roll a dice in the hero phase, the ship repairs a wound on a +4.
3. Malefic Skymines: An enemy unit that can fly that ends its charge move within 1" of this ship suffers D3 mortal wounds in addition to any other ability that affects charging units.
4. Ebullient Buoyancy Aid: Your ships penalty for being overburdened is halved, rounding down. Gunhaulers must re-roll this result.
5. Prudency Chutes: If your ship is destroyed, you may re-roll any 1s when determining if the passengers survive when they bail out. Gunhaulers must re-roll this result
6. Magnificent Omniscope: Your ship can move an extra D6" instead of D3" when it uses its Aetheric Navigation ability. Gunhaulers must re-roll this result.

The City-Ports

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

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

You may select an additonal footnote from the list other than "These are just guidelines"

As well as access to the following:

• 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

• Unique 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.

You may choose one additional footnote from the list other than "These are just Guidelines"

As well as access to the following:

• 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.

Barak-Zon:

Uses the following code: Honour is Everything, Leave No Duardin Behind

• Unique Footnote: Show them your Steel: Once per battle, in the hero phase, one of your units that is embarked in a vessel can immediately disembark and attempt to charge as if it was the charge phase (it can still attempt a second charge during the regular charge phase if the first one failed)

You may choose an additional footnote, other than "These Are Just Guidelines".

As well as the following:

• Ability: Deeds, Not Words: You can re-roll wound rolls of 1 in the combat phase for your units if they charged in the same turn. gotta make sure that alpha strike hurts!

• Artefact Of Power: Aethersped Hammer: The user can always be chosen to pile in and attack first in the combat phase no matter what. If an enemy unit has a similar ability, then the normal turn order is used.

• A Barak-Zon Iron Sky Squadron can include a unit of Skywardens for each Frigate in the Battalion.

Barak-Urbaz:

Uses the following code: Seek New Prospects, Always Take What You Are Owed

• Unique Footnote: Where There's War, There's Gold: Once per battle, in the hero phase, one of your units within 3" of an enemy can pile in and attack as if it were the combat phase, or shoot as if it were the shooting phase.

You may choose an additional footnote, other than "These Are Just Guidelines"

As well as the following:

• Ability: Khemists Supreme: Your Aether-Khemists can choose two units for it's Aetheric Augmentation Ability, rather than just one. Because you need more reasons to take this guy.

• Artefact of Power: Breath of Morgrim (Ironclad only): Immediately after you move the Ironclad that has this (and did not choose to run), pick an enemy unit within 6" and roll a dice for each model in that unit. If you at least roll one 6, that unit will suffer D3 mortal wounds.

• A Barak-Urbaz Iron Sky Command Battalion can include any number of Aether-Khemists. which is good because you want a boatload of them.

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.

you may choose 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:

Uses the following Code: Settle The Grudges, Trust To Your Guns

• Unique Footnote: Honour The Gods, Just In Case: Once per battle, in any phase, you can re-roll one of your dice rolls

You may choose an additional footnote, other than "These are just Guidelines"

As well as access to the following:

• Ability: Log of Grudges: You can pick D3 enemy units for the "Settle The Grudges" artycle instead of one.

• Artefact of Power: Grudgehammer: The bearer can re-roll all failed hit and wound rolls in the combat phase if that target has a grudge on it.

• A Barak-Thryng Grundstock Escort Wing can include an additional Frigate.

Warscrolls

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

Leaders

• Brokk Grungsson: Dead. Killy.
• 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 compared to the other leader choices, but not at all completely useless.
• 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 having 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. And it gets better if you can find a way to consistently buff your hit or wound rolls, which there are a handful of ways to do with Kharadron Overlords. So while they may not seem quite like the most competitive weapon, with the right synergy they can definitely compete with the other options. Seriously expanding more on that, if you can just pull that hit roll down to a 4+ (which, as has already been said, isn't too hard most of the time) three Volleyguns, instead of making an average 3 wounds, will make 4.5 wounds. Add on to that -1 rend and that's a decent amount of damage for just three guys that cost very little.

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: an upgrade of everything, the ironclad serves as an flagship, it has ALL the weapons, and can carry a lot of models, but its also a bullet magnet since its much large than most things in the game. (please add more)

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 (Range so excellent they can just be sat in your deployment and don't need a Skyvessel transport). If you want to take advantage of the Aethercannon's insanely good stats for monster/hero hunting I highly recommend you throw at least one Fumigator (the larger the unit, the more Fumigators you can afford to take) in there to deter potential melee units from charging.
• 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:These are your heavy hitting assault guys. They can have a couple different ranged "upgrades", but let's be honest, you took these guys for their Aethermatic Saws. Tack these guys onto a SkyVessel with an Aether Khemist, roll up the board, unload and buff the Saws then send these crazy buggers in for 2 swings of 3+/2+ -2 with D3 damage each; ouch! As an added bonus, these guys can heal one wound off your boats each turn, for each unit of Rigger within 1". If taking multiple boats, you could equip your unit with a grapnel launcher to help get these guys where you need them. Hell, without boats the grapnel launcher can help with some major movement shenanigans, i.e. moving up to 24" at the end of the shooting phase, but you really need to make sure it's worth losing that Aether Saw attack.
• 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.
• Your Endrinriggers could very quickly become a very scary first wave unit. Attach them to a Frigate that you plan to send in to the midfield anyway and deploy it as far forwards as you dare. Now you can move 10", deploy the Endrinriggers 3" and move with them another 12". Now they can shoot with their pistols/Drillcannon and charge with their saws - both of which are very capable weapons. Add a Khemist for even more tears.

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 Urbaz Tactics

• Using "Khemysts Supreme", pair up two khemysts with two units of Arkanaughts with light sky hooks, and you'll be firing 18 light sky hook shots (at +1 to hit if you snipe a character or monster which you can due to the 24" range). This also extends to having a unit of Endrinriggers nearby to take two Khemyst buffs on their melee weapons and charging off to protect your Arkanaugts (who still get one Khemyst buff each) with a lot of clout in combat.
• Your Barak-specific footnote "Where there's war, there's gold" can also be pretty useful, as it allows you to shoot a unit in the hero phase, meaning you could buff the unit twice with khemysts, shoot using the footnote, use the "There's no trading with some people" footnote to get an extra D3 mortal wounds on something, then shoot in your shooting phase for a pretty decent alpha strike.

Barak Mhornar Tactics

• Make sure you're getting the most out of 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 Volley 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 it 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.