Beasts Of Chaos

Grand Alliance Chaos Beasts Of Chaos

Cry havoc, and let slip the beasts of war.

Lore Tactics General Tactics

AoS’ take on the classic Beastmen, the Beasts of Chaos are comprised of the Brayherds (Gors, Ungors, etc), Warherds (Minotaurs), Thunderscorn (Dragon Ogors), and other assorted chaos monsters all united under one faction.

The biggest difference between Warhammer Fantasy Beastmen and Age of Sigmar Beastmen is their opinion on the Chaos Gods. The Old World Beastmen are zealously devoted to the Chaos Gods, despite said gods being relatively indifferent to the Cloven Ones. The Mortal Realms Beastmen however are staunch followers of Chaos Undivided, the "worship Chaos as a force seperate from the gods" kind. To them the Ruinous Powers are merely powerful beings who have limited themselves by only embodying a single aspect of Chaos, and outright worshipping them goes against the whole purpose of being Chaotic in the first place. Though Beastmen marked by the gods still exist (mostly forming their own seperate greatfrays because the other Beastmen ostracise them), in general the Beastmen believe that Chaos is something one should embody through their acts, not a pantheon to be followed. The Chaos Gods despite this still see them as useful pawns because of how they spread war, plague, rape and mutation.

Ironically, despite being actively ostracised by their undivided kin, from the ones we've seen so far marked Beastmen are highly favored by human cultists, with Slaanesh worshippers revering and pampering Slaangor Fiendbloods and many Tzeentch worshippers (especially the Cult of the Transient Form) actively aspiring to be transformed into Tzaangors.

Greatfrays

Calling the Greatfrays the equivalent to Stormhosts or Warclans is a bit of a misunderstanding. A Greatfray is less of a unified subfaction and more like a particular culture that Beastmen originate from. Scholars of the Mortal Realms will notice patterns in their iconography, warfare, and herd composition and create these theories regarding how the beasts of these Greatfrays function.

• Allherd: The posterboys. Arrogant and aggressive, the beasts of the Allherd believe themselves to be the true offspring of the Alpha Progenitor, the original Beastman of the Mortal Realms, ergo meaning they claim to be the only true children of Chaos. Their herds are mostly found in Ghur, which when combined with the countless herdstones and glyphs bearing the Allherd’s symbols that dot every continent in the Realm of Beasts, leads many to believe that they originated from Ghur as well.
• Darkwalkers: Much like their ancestors in the World-That-Was, the Darkwalkers rely heavily on ambush tactics and knowing the lay of the land. They seem to have an innate knowledge of the environment around them and are easily able to traverse the most treacherous of terrain and/or lure enemies into lethal surprise attacks. It’s not uncommon for herds of Darkwalkers to be “hired” by Chaos Lords from the Slaves to Darkness for their experience in navigating the Realms. Of course, the idea of even interacting with the followers of the Chaos Gods doesn't sit well with some other Greatfrays, but the Darkwalkers don't mind, since it's only natural to use any and all means when walking the path of anarchy.
• Gavespawn: A somewhat heretical Greatfray who revere/worship Morghur from the original Beastman roster, who has become a symbol of rampant mutation and the warping powers of Chaos. They seek to elevate their patron to the ranks of a proper Chaos God and fight against the four brothers, which is why they are often at odds with the other Beasts of Chaos and the Slaves to Darkness. Of course with all this mutation present, Chaos SpaWAITOHGODNOFDNHKGESZYXJDS...are a common presence in the army.

The next few Greatfrays refer to Beastmen who have chosen to follow a specific Ruinous Power and are appropriately shunned by most other Beasts of Chaos. Important note here, these names aren’t really the names of the Greatfray itself, but more like a broad classification (I.e. the Eight Horns Greatfray is a Skullfray devoted to Khorne and so on).

• Skullfrays: Beastmen devoted to Khorne. They are gifted a portion of the Blood God’s wrath, turning them all into unstoppable berserkers who rip and tear a gory trail through the Mortal Realms. Their herdstones are fittingly decorated with piles of skulls and no Bray Shamans are found in the Skullfrays, cause magic makes Khorne mad.
• Twistfrays: Beastmen devoted to Tzeentch. Sometimes known as Weird Horns or Warphooves, these guys were the only god-specific Beastmen with official models still in production until the recent Slaanesh Mortals update. They are the most willing to cooperate with outside factions, usually to plot and scheme the downfall of a Free City. Their herdstones are almost living twisted creatures in their own way, changing and growing the stronger their Twistfray becomes.
• Rotfrays: Beastmen devoted to Nurgle. Their devotion to the Plague Father has turned these Beastmen into a pestilent horde of flagellants who willingly cut and infect each other with disease and wade into battle as martyrs to spread their poxes upon their foes. Appropriately, the Rotfray herdstones serve as nodes for Nurgle’s corruptive influence, morphing the earth around it into a vile marsh of decay and filth.
• Slakefrays: Beastmen devoted to Slaanesh. To these beasts, Slaanesh is the apex predator, feaster, and breeder; all things that the Beastmen seek to emulate in the most obscene degree. These guys are LOUD, wearing garish armor and clothes and blowing colossal war horns to signal their attacks. They hoard anything gaudy or shiny they find in their raids, however this makes them prone to bouts of self-loathing, realizing how they value these products of civilization. This is why they seek to drown out such thoughts in more excessive pillaging and raping, creating a vicious, almost tragic, cycle.

Gallery

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See Also

• Beastmen, their fantasy counterparts.