Warhammer/Tactics/8th Edition/Legion of Azgorh

Why Legion of Azgorh?

Also: Why play a Forgeworld army and get all the neckbeards to claim cheese while they are deploying layer after layer of cheddar?

If you are a new player, Chaos Dwarves were supported until 5th edition and then got into Squat territory. In July 2011 Forgeworld released Tamurkhan: The Throne of Chaos, which contained a WHFB army list for a faction of Chaos Dwarves. Which is awesome, but loses part of the Babylonian look the older army had.

What does the Legion of Azgorh offer and what are its main weaknesses?

Pros

• They are Dwarves with possessed war machines, a Babylonian look (not anymore in the troops, but you still have great centrepieces as the Taurus or the Lammasu)
• The LoA warmachines are often called overpowered, and it's true, but this is compensated by the rest of the army.
• You can field a small, elite army composed of Chaos Dwarves and their war machines or go into battle with a huge Hobgoblin horde.
• K'daai Destroyer. This beast deserves a point of its own. It can wreck completely an army, but is easily countered by a lot of stuff or a 5 point enchanted item. However, if used properly, accompany with a cup to drink your opponent's tears with.
• Their own magic lore, Hashut is a solid choice and goes very well with the rest of the army.
• Their Sorcerers double as Engineers and can use magic while doing so.

Cons

• Elite army, all the CD units are very expensive save for the Hobgoblins, though it gets evened out with the war machines.
• Few of the units have any real synergy with each other, with half the army list favoring a stationary, defensive battle plan and the other half needing to quickly get into combat to be most effective.
• Most of your synergy will be Ashstorm based.
• The equipment is expensive, Blunderbuss 'specially.
• If you go Hobgoblin-heavy you only have 3 options and they are cannon fodder at best.

The army has two viable yet very different play-styles. By virtue of access to many top tier war machines, engineers and wizards, Chaos Dwarfs can be played similarly to their western cousins, the Dwarfs, just with the added benefit of hurling magical death as well as rockets and molten lava. That's just good customer service! Alternatively you can skimp on the artillery and go full frontal assault, a la Chaos Warriors lite, complete with lots of fast monsters and rock solid elite infantry. Mixing the two styles sees the army lose a lot of its effectiveness, particularly against canny opponents who will pull apart stranded combat units or unguarded warmachines piecemeal.

All in all, the Legion of Azgorh ends as a middle-tier army, that will get an opponent caught off-guard the first few times. What do you mean 24" reach flamethrowers?

Army Rules

• Resolute: Chaos Dwarfs get -1" to the rolls for pursuing and fleeing. Regular Dwarfs had this rule updated (replaced with +1S on the charge!) in 8th Edition, Chaos Dwarfs just have to live with it.

• Relentless: Chaos Dwarfs don't test to march if they have an enemy within 8", which is very welcome, given their low movement value.

• Contempt: All Chaos Dwarf and Bull Centaur units ignore panic tests caused by their Hobgoblin slaves. So use them as the shields they are, and don't mind them dying in droves.

Unit Analysis and Summary

Lords and Heroes

Named Characters

• Drazhoath the Ashen, Prophet of Hashut: The only named character of this army, he is a Level 4 Sorcerer and Engineer, and rides a Bale Taurus. He can fly to position himself and his mount has a special S5 Flaming Breath attack. Despite that, at 3+/5++ he does not cut it because his setup is suboptimal, as we need at least 2+/4++ on our obvious general. His +1 to combat resolution to all units within 12" is also nice but not that good.

Regular Characters

All Sorcerers have the Immune to Psychology USR, can LoS if within 3" of a war machine and have to test Toughness when they Miscast (their first failure will add 1 to their T permanently). They can also wear magic armour and by default come with a 4+/5++ versus flaming attacks armor.

• Sorcerer-Prophet: The only regular Lord choice for the army. He is a Level 3 Sorcerer with L4 upgrade. Has all the regular Chaos Dwarf stuff, and also a special weapon that has his own table of minor special abilities (as Daemons do now). They have access to the Lore of Hashut (Heroes don't), Metal, Fire or Death. Works best with Death magic -- LD10 spirit leech, Hell Cannon causing panic tests at -4 LD FTW -- however the lore of Hashut can too be quite effective in static gunline lists with ample artillery. The Sorcerer Prophet while possessing decent stats is far from a beatstick, though a tooled up one with Blood of Hashut can with a little luck melt down heavily armored characters into pools of piss and blood. They also get access to 3 different mounts. It is recommended to buy them 2+/4++ saves.

• Daemonsmith Sorcerer: Wizard-Engineer too. Has access to Fire, Metal and Death. May upgrade to Level 2 Wizard and comes with a S5 magic weapon by default. Give him the Lore of Fire, keep him at the back next to your war machines to give them rerolls and use him to throw Fireballs at the enemy.

• Infernal Castellan: The only BSB choice, so you will need one. He has access to 75 points of magic items and can get a shield even when BSB, so you can protect him easily. Magic banners aren't expensive enough to put on him so you can give him magic equipment and give the magic banner to a unit. This hero is tough, with a 2+/4++ save, T5 and 3 attacks, so make the most of it.

• Hobgoblin Khan: This is the cheapest Hero choice in the army. You can mount him in a Wolf, give him a few upgrades (light armor, shield, and spear) and send him to hunt war machines for little more than 50 points. It can also be used to redirect charges, as HE eagles, or put inside a Hobgoblin unit to benefit from his Ld7, unnecessary as you will spend most of your time within your General's inspiring presence area.

• Bull Centaur Taur'ruk: A Centaur hero, he is considered a Monstrous Beast, and his profile is appalling appealing for a Hero choice, with 4 Wounds, Strength and Toughness 5 among other things. For 20 points you can get him to 1+ without magic items. The only catch is that to get this guy in your army you have to get a unit of Bull Centaurs too.

Mounts

• Great/Bale Taurus: Your principal mount for hitting the enemy hard is a powerful flying monster with flaming attacks and it cannot be wounded by spells from the Lore of Fire but heals D3 wounds if hit by one. They also hit everyone in close combat with them automatically with S4 (save the rider), and re-roll successful non-magical wounds done to it. A Bale Taurus has +1T and +1W and also features a flaming S4 Breath Weapon for 80pts extra.

• Lammasu: This little guy is taken from the Storm of Magic book, and has a nasty CC aura (all magic weapons aside from the rider's in base contact do not function). Watch as big boss-man Karl Franz goes from being the Teddy Roosevelt of Warhammer to George Bush reading fairy tales to Kindergarteners. It can purchase caster levels and has access to Lore of Shadow, so you can get a sorcerer mount for your sorcerer (yo dog). However, as he will only get level 2 don't count on Mindrazor, but you can get access to some Hexes. The army's only access to lore of shadow.

• Giant Wolf: The only mount option for a Hobgoblin Khan, confers Fast Cavalry rule on the Khan, which is lost when he takes a shield (like the regular wolf riders)

Core Units

• Infernal Guard: This unit is the core of your army, they have a good profile and come with 3+ armour save and a 5+ ward save against flaming attacks. They also have access to a regular 6++ parry save due to their shields. Their weapon options include Great Weapons (a straightforward option when you already have an Initiative of 2), Fireglaives (Halberds and Handguns in one weapon, 18" S4 Armour piercing) or Blunderbusses. Blunderbusses are short-range shooting weapons, and make your IG 18 points per model. This weapon has some special rules that make it interesting: Multiple Shots d3 (one roll for unit, so it's either awesome or terrible), S3 Armour piercing, no multiple shots penalty, and the more models the unit has, the better. At 10+ models it loses the long range and stand and shoot penalties, and at 20+ models they re-roll to Wound. you can also give this unit a Magic Banner up to 50 points. They're somewhat overpriced, which only gets worse with Blunderbusses, so only take as many as you must.

• Hobgoblin Cutthroats: These guys are small, sneaky, and can be spammed for a relative low cost. They come with Throwing Knives and Light Armour by default. You can give them shields at 0.5 points a piece, so it's recommended as it makes them much harder to kill in combat. You can buy them bows for 1 point, or an additional hand weapon for 0.5, so you have many options available with them. They benefit from your General's Inspiring Presence so they can be used as a tarpit.

Special Units

• Infernal Ironsworn: Think of these guys as the Chosen Infernal Guard. You can't give them any different gear, but they come by default with Ensorcelled Hand Weapons (S5, magical attacks), they all have WS5 and 3+ armour. They are rather expensive, and share the special allowance with many of your best units and war machines. Still only 1 attack; don't take them.

• Bull Centaur Renders: M7 Monstrous Beast that can combine Heavy Armour with their Scaly Skin and get 3+ base armour. They have a low number of Attacks (2), but they make that up with T5 and their heavy armours. You can give them Spears (as cavalry, +1S when charging derp. they are not cav, they are beasts, so only extra ranks get to fight. woo). Great Weapons, additional HtH weapons and Shields. They make for great flank protection or, in bigger units, flank crushing. They can have magic banner so great for an extra inch of move or classic flaming attack to hunt down hydras and trolls.

• K'daai Fireborn: Monstrous Infantry unit. They share Unbreakable and Unstable with Vampires and Tomb Kings. Their rules make it so that they end up killing themselves a lot of times, and the longer the game, the weaker they will get. Each game turn, from the second onwards, they take a Toughness test (at their T4) that, when failed, leads to losing D3 wounds, and each model has only 2. They cause Fear, inflict automatic S4 Flaming hits to every model in BtB with them without that rule, and have a 4+ Ward save, S5 and can dish out a fair number of attacks and wounds. Keep in mind they are Flaming, so any of the 2+ Ward against Flaming attacks will keep them locked forever.

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Now, a common space for War Machines:

• All LoA War Machines can purchase the following upgrades: Hellbound, and Steam Carriage. Hellbound gives the WM +1T, +1W and magical attacks, but on a Misfire the WM suffers 1D3 Wounds with no save. Steam Carriage makes the WM count as behind Hard Cover and behind an obstacle, plus allowing it to be towed by the Iron Daemon.
• Towing: a War Machine being towed may be untowed during the Movement Phase, but cannot be towed again for the remainder of the game. This is of fairly variable usage depending on your opponent and the terrain. It's probably not something you'll want to do every game but but it's a nice fringe benefit all the same. Being able to move a war machine to cover a choke point or to screen it from return fire while you pummel important units can be a big deal but on some tables there just won't be a reason to do it. Still, don't forget about it.

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• Iron Daemon War Engine: This expensive unit has 2 setups and uses, depending on what upgrades you get it. It has a whopping S8, T7, and 7 Wounds (always Hellbind for S8, T8, W8), and a base movement of 6. It can move normally (6") or roll 2D6 and add them to the movement. Obstacles lower than the ID don't slow it. If a double 1 is rolled it doesn't move that turn. You can also "tow" other war machines that have purchased the Steam Carriage upgrade with it. One won't slow it, if it tows 2, its movement is reduced to 3". It is an unique unit, so it doesn't benefit from our Daemonsmith re-rolling abilities. Note that as per the FAQ, Iron Daemons cannot wheel on the charge. When the Iron Daemon charges, it moves directly forward, no wheels to maximize, but it "closes the door". When it shoots, it only shoots directly ahead, no forward arc. Can make usage tricky. (see Discussion page for more on this issue)

• The first version is the default one. It comes with a Steam Cannonade. This weapon is the bane of Monsters, War Machines and lone characters up till 18" range, because you roll 2 artillery dice, and choose the best result (if double problems are rolled, then roll in the table). Roll To Hit (no penalty for moving) and To Wound with S6, armour piercing shots and Multiple Wounds (D3). This version deals D6+2 Impact Hits and can thunderstomp in following turns with S8
• The second version is the Skullcracker upgrade and it substitutes the Steam Cannonade. It deals 2D6+2 Impact Hits, then 2D6 Thunderstomp, and gains +1 To Wound against fortifications and buildings.

• Deathshrieker Rocket Launcher: This machine comes cheap at 100 points. It works as a Stone Thrower with a Large Blast, without double Strength or multiple wounds, at a base Strength 3. If the center of the Large Blast misses the unit (note, the center), roll an artillery dice, change the template for the small one and move it towards the centre of the closest unit friend or foe by that amount of inches. If a Misfire is rolled in this die, then the shoot explodes in the air inoffensively. It also has an alternative firing mode at S8 D6 Multiple wounds without Blast, doubling very well as a Monster hunter, specially when we take into account the Daemonsmiths.

• Magma Cannon: This cannon makes the Dwarf Flamethrower pale, as it works exactly like one, but better in every aspect. At 145 points, we are looking at the ability to drop Flaming S5 Templates with D3 Multiple wounds at 24" range. Nasty. Take at least one in every game for deathstar-rapey goodness.

Rare Units

• Hobgoblin Wolf Riders: Mediocre. They'd be a great unit if they weren't rare but they're competing with extremely powerful unit. They've got Animosity and low leadership, and their speed means that they won't be within range of the General or BSB. Pass. Can be really good charge redirector or artillery hunter (never give them shield to let them be fast cavalry and never give them bow to facilitate this) but that's not really what you're looking for from this slow. Their +1 combat resolution might be useful if you flank but it's still hard to justify such a fragile unit.

• Dreadquake Mortar: This piece of artillery has both the longest reach in the game and access to a special upgrade, the Slave Ogre. Without it, it is subject to Slow Reload (firing every 2 turns unless a 3+ roll is made). If both the Ogre and the Hellbound upgrade are purchased, the Mortar has T8 and 7 Wounds, making it into a very tough and hard to remove unit (as per FAQ). It fires like a Stone Thrower, with S5 (10 under the hole), armour piercing with range 12"-72". Any unit who takes a casualty from it has to test for Dangerous Terrain if they wish to move (charging, reforming, everything counts) or try to shoot Move or Fire weapons. War Machines count as Chariots for this, so a failed roll will make them lose D6 Wounds. On the other hand, it's very expensive, so think carefully before taking one (particularly since your Rare slot also includes the K'daai Destroyer).
  Also it hits the target with the small template (3"), same as Hellcannon. That was a subject of discussions on may forums, but rules clearly state it shoots exactly as a Stone Thrower, and template confirmation had been confirmed by forge World Tamurkhan's FAQ.

• Hellcannon: It fires as a Stone Thrower with S5, and forces Panic tests (with -1Ld penalty) on units suffering casualties from it. It is considered a Monster, and has its own Misfire table, that goes from eating its crew to mindraping nearby Wizards. It has to test Leadership every turn, and if failed it gets a free turn and a 3D6 automatic move that will eat any Light Cavalry unit nearby trying to kill it. Even better than the Warriors of Chaos version due to Daemonsmith re-rolls. A solid choice. It's also the only non-Hobgoblin model you can get for Chaos Dwarves without having to pay Forge World prices.

• K'daai Destroyer: Remember how we said that this thing deserved a point to its own? We meant it. Don't get it into combat with: poison, characters with the dragon helm or dragonbane gem, dragon princes, or stubborn/unbreakable blocks, and don't let it overrun off the board. Otherwise, this thing will quite happily kill half an army for you. It's only downside is a lack of model and that its picture in the book is very vague. Fuck knows what it actually looks like.Shown as WIP in the latest Games Day. The model looks as if someone had covered Matt Ward in glue and had thrown him inside a bits box for a while.

• Chaos Siege Giant: Your other option for a monster besides the K'daai Destroyer. It costs only 50pts less but is basically worse in every way. Giants have a random attack system, so you're never quite sure what they will do, which is bad in the first place. It can be quite effective if you roll the right attack against the right opponent, but it can also be a wasted turn. It comes with two upgrades: Runes of Hate lets you re-roll your random attack roll (important) and gives berserk rage (not good, but negligible at LD10) but increases the costs to a solid 300pts - only 25pts away from the Destroyer! Scaling spikes are pretty much useless unless you're in an actual siege (Siege Giant, duh!). Siege Giants compete for your precious rare allowance and are the worst of the five choices. Take only if you love giants and/or have your list somehow tailored to it.

Building Your Army

You have three options:

Option 1: You are a rich lunatic and you want to play WHFB's version of the Death Korps of Krieg. Buy all the stuff direct from Forge World. Weep (or laugh) as your basic core units cost £80 for twenty guys with full command. Yes, the models are super awesome (especially the war machines) but a 2000pts army of these guys will set you back by literally jillions of money.

Option 2: You are a sensible chap who is a dab hand at converting. Use GW's regular plastic dwarfs and use your modelling skills to turn them into Chaos Dwarfs. Just put spikes everywhere, a fun conversion idea used by a clever guy is to use a thumb tack for the signature hats. You might need to get more inventive to make their war machines from scratch however. The new plastic Irondrake models are perfect for converting into Chaos Dwarfs with blunderbusses.

Option 3: You are a sensible chap who doesn't play Warhammer at GW stores. Get an army of Abyssal Dwarfs from Mantic Games. They're all plastic and it costs £50 for about 60 models. Their infantry models are nicely detailed and look suitably Chaotic, though their options are still stuck in the "metal add on" phase. The war machines leave much to be desired however. As these are not GW's models, you'll probably be lynched by GW staff if you try to use them at one of their stores.

Update to pts 2&3 from "Different Legion of Azgorh fanatic".

Alternatively, f*ck Matic Games, and do a bit of google. Eventually you'll find Spanish company called Norba Miniatures [1]. Their Infernal Dwarfs are an absolute ripoffs of what Forge World did. Quality's less detailed, models require bit of cleaning, but at the end you'll get something that looks as closest on the market as possible to these from FW. Plus they allow you to buy models with either hand weapon/shield, fireglaive or great weapon. Just be aware it may even take 3 months for them to do the casts and dispatch. Still - 12-15 EUR for group of 10? Here's my money!

If you feel like giving 23 GBP-donation-for-those-in-need, buy a command squad from FW, chop off some bits, and add others. Have some leftovers like axes from Khorne's End of Times bulky Skullreapers/Wrathmongers - use them. That way, you'll make a 3 properly grimdark and custom made Castellans.

If you aim to get less Ironclad-Mordor-More-Babylonian-Pointy-Hats-Look check out Russian Alternative. Although I've heard that quality of the cast is not the finest.

Now the funny thing - if you have a hand for sculpting, get a green stuff or some thick modelling mass, get a scissors, knife or wire cutter and sculpture some flames. Just grab a piece of previously glued to a model green stuff and pull. Then paint, then make sure to use some tough hairspray on the model, to keep it solid.

Bale/Great Taurus - Take Scibor Miniatures [2] under consideration. They have some wingy bulls generals is their Moscal army. Also - check their range as well. If you want to add a bit of Old-Matiushka-Russia charm to your army, then you had found the right place, comrade.

Lammasu - the closest equivalent is Manticore. Check out Raging Heroes [3] website - they have nice Manticore in the range + extra payable head of Lammasu. Or just buy this head, do a measurements on your Taurus, chop off its head in a right spot with a tiny modelling saw in and use some magnets or magnetic tapes so you'll have a model with fully changeable head - depending on situation.

Bull Centaurs - Scibor Miniatures and Norba Miniatures. I think first have 3 or 4 different models, but Norba has cheap 3-packs and again with different weapons.

K'daai Destroyer - Monstrous Arcanum and Tamurkhan (both FW) state that these may be bulls, warriors, deamons or f*ck-knows-what, just with blazing flaming bodies and on properly sizeable base. As FW project was (let us admit) crap, you have to find a model just yourself.

I have to say that Skaarac the Bloodborn, Great Khorgorath of Khorne from FW looks perfect for the purpose, but we aim for something much less than 145 GBP. If you like modelling, I seriously suggest taking Crush-Mawa from AoS Greenskins. Bulky bastard, I did however chop off wings in mine. Don't forget to get some green mass to sculpture some nice flames. Or just take WH40k Forgefiend.

Hobgoblins - get yourself a pack of Stormvermins and/or Clanrats, chop off their heads and tails, add some bits and pieces from other armies - if you have them accessible - and some Gnobblar-Goblin-Nightgoblin heads. You may chop off Skaven shields and glue some from different armies but you'll need bit of skills and green mass to hold it tight. Just think - Hobgoblins with Dwarven shields? "My grudges are itching just on a thought..." Have some Black Orks or any Orks? Sweet - fit them in as a place fillers. I have a massive warboss chained to the rocks, with banner pole attached to his back and he's my equivalent of 4 hobos including standard bearer. If you like modelling and customisation - this is for you.

Hobgoblin Wolf Riders - have not many alternatives again. Original wolf mounted Goblins from GW or Russian Alternatives.

Hobgoblin Khans - Many options for mods. Check the advises for Hobgoblins above, remember to glue to him loads of random knives, swords, pennants or just leftovers from different armies, to make him outstanding of the crowd.

Currently not many alternatives in regards to warmachines.

You may use some Empire or Dwarf Hellblaster/Cannon/Flame Cannons to make Deathshriek or Magma Cannon. It will require some bits and pieces and modelling skills, but shouldn't be much complicated.

Iron Daemon - empire Steam Tank plus loads of mending. Maybe something from 40k, but it is either too futuristic or too wallet draining. I bought the original and in this case recommend doing exactly the same.

There are no reasonable alternatives for Dreadquake if you want to stick to its size. Well you can use old Earthquake from 6th edition, or check Mantic, but it won't help you if you want to have it mounted on Steam Carriage. Unless, you have 2 Hellcannons and a friend who owns the modeling/gaming store with loads of bits and pieces. I also considered buying model of one of the IIWW Nazi German or Soviet Russians train mortars or train cannons, but you would have to compare the scale, do the mendments, have to had lots of spares and to be honest lot of free time to do mendments.

Siege Giant - another modelling opportunity. You need Giant from GW. Or have fun and buy Beastman Cygor. In both cases you'll have to use green stuff and bits and pieces to do some armour for him. I don't know about other alternatives. Rotten Factory has Giant - just google.

Hellcannon - Original, or ugly bastard from Norba Miniatures, or Rotten Factory [4]- they have 2 types of Hellcannons - proper one, and mutilated heavily mutated something with big tusks and 6... limbs. This one is perfect for Nurgle / Tzentch WoC, However we're talking about LoA - so the first one would do the job (or would get the job done :) ).

Army composition

Infernal Guard

These are the main core unit of your army. Better than their Dawi hold dwelling cousins, they have a 4+ save (with a 5++ against fire based attacks) plus a shield and a base Strength of 4. However, such a sweet statline doesn't come cheap, and units between 20 and 25 is usually the way to go. They can also take a magic standard, which is nice! Good, standard option to fill core. Don't expect much from them, but they should be able to go toe to toe with any other core unit and give a decent account of themseves.

The warriors have additional 3 weapon options, and these really dictate what you do with the unit. They can have great weapons for 3 points, fireglaves for 5 points, or if you really feel like splashing out, blunderbusses for 6 points.

• The great weapons are a great choice for a hammer/anvil unit. It makes them strike at S6 (with easy access to hatred) and as they are I2 anyway, you're not giving up much to attack last. The only really cost if the loss of the shield, but being T4 with a 4+ makes them pretty durable. As Chaos Dwarfs are only M3, they make a great anvil unit, but your opponent will easily be able to avoid them, unless you force them to come at you...For me this is the optimum choice for warriors, they are tough and hit like a ton of bricks. For the Dawi Zhar lord that wants a combat army...yes please to 24 with great weapons.

• Next up is the fireglave. This is a great 'mid' option. It allows you to fire at a relatively close range, but at S4 with armour piercing, which it nice, and also acts as a halberd in close combat. This is a great choice, the only downside being it's points. You'll want to make sure everyone can fire (so 2 ranks) but the unit is also a combat one (so 4 ranks). I usually allow my opponent to charge my 2 deep line, rely on my Ld10 stubborn hero to make sure I stand, and can reform for the next turn of combat. Not my preferred choice, but ok. Maybe a unit of 18 or 24.

• Finally, the blunderbuss. Now we're talking! This make the unit horrendously expensive, especially as the guns ae only really worth their points if you're firing 20 or more. This means you need to be taking units of at least 24. And at 18 ppm, that unit get expensive FAST!. Why so good? The fact that 20 firing D3 shots give you an average of 40 shots that basically ignore all to hit penalties and re-roll to wound. In addition, if you get into combat you keep you shield for that fantastic 3+ 6++. Get these guys in a building, and just delete anyone that comes within 12". All that said, their short range, huge drop off when the unit gets to 19 minis and the humongous points cost means I take these for fun game, but more often than not, they get left on the shelf.

Magic Items

Update from "different Legion of Azgorh fanatic".

It's quality over quantity. You have 9 mundane items plus access to all Magic Items from main 8th rulebook.

3 of the items are solid.

2 of them are rather useless

4 of them depending on your army composition may be considered solid.

1. Black Hammer of Hashut

Available only for Chaos Dwarfs. Magic Weapon - not great weapon. That looks good. For 35 pts you get +2S, so your Castellan will end up at 6S, and any flammable model wounded by this weapon is killed outhright (of course after he applies Armour Saves and Ward Saves). Beware - weapon itself does not cause flaming attacks.

One would say nah, there are not many flammable models in 8th. I say - use it right after casting Ashstorm, in duel. Properly kitted castellan, obligatory with Potion of Speed may be a lord hunter-killer. I6 (Castellen's I3 + aformentioned Potion) is the I that Karl Franz have. And most of the Lords of the Old World. Just make sure you did cast Ashstorm.

2. Dagger of Malice

20 pts Magic Weapon. Bearer suffers Hatered. I'd give it eventually to a supportive Hobgoblin Khan on foot. No fireworks to be honest.

3. Dark Mace

For 60 pts you get Magic Weapon with Killing Blow and in addition once per game it causes 1 auto-wound on every model in base contact. Including your Taurus if you choose so.

Considering LoA's high WS and wounding rolls, killing your enemy outright with "6" on dice seem to be possible. Just remember your Castellan has 4+/3+ AS and this hand weapon costs loads, so probably no chance to make further defensive upgrade. Kit your Hero or Lord with Black Hammer of Hashut as first, and then, use this one on another.

4. Armour of Bazherak the Cruel

This devilish smith was being mentioned in many previous editions and had some nice items that time. In here just one. For 50 pts this Magic Armour gives you 2+ Armour Save that cannot be improved. Well - 1's are fail-able anyway, so taking it means you have to forget about shield if you intend to use it. You also get Magic Resistance level 2. Period. Give it to Castellan, put him to unit endangered by sorcerers who you know drop some direct damages and unit would get 5+ magic save. I know there are not many direct damages in a game, but still, nice supportive thing for supportive character.

Oh and btw, my ex-dicemaster is going to read that at some point, so it is hidden message for him - Duchu, I'm going to burn your ass in the holy flame of Hashut this year. And Szwagier's too. You both shall burn (mwahahahaha) and I'll be dancing around singing kumba-ya. (mwahahahaha).

5. Mask of the Furnance

Mask of the welder. +1 to your overall Armour Save, 4++ Ward Save that increases to 2++ against Flaming Attacks. Don't think. Take, as I assume you had allocated Talisman of Protection and Dragonhelm to different models already. 65 pts. Only Chaos Dwarfs. Magic Armour. Costly, but good.

6. Stone Mantle

40 pts and you get +1T with -1I. U see - Legion of Azgorh Dwarfs have mostly I2 anyway, so it won't make any difference having 1 point less. But if given to a Prophet, may save his ass big time. Chaos Dwarfs magicians have to make a T test after resolving miscast. Just to remind a player, that words "Dwarf", and "Magic" does not stand in one sentence next to each other. Failed T test, means 1 wound with no saves allowed. So do a math - having T5 = 66,6% of success. Having T6 = 83.3% of success. Choice is yours however. Talisman, only Chaos Dwarfs.

7. Banner of Slavery

Your BSB Castellan may have this banner for 35 pts. Put him behind a horde of Hobos. Or 2 hordes. Or 3 if you play green-tide-heavy. Banner creates the 12" bubble of Immune to Psychology. Hobos Tarpit extraordinale. Bane for someone who thought can get through them like a hot knife through butter.

Usable only for Hobgoblin heavy armies, otherwise don't bother.

8. Chalice of Blood and Darkness

50 pts Arcane Item which can be used every turn - not just once. You roll D3 for each side of the conflict, and what you got is number of dices to be diminished from each side spell pool. It can go extremely good (if you rolled 1, and for your opponent 3) or just the opposite. If you roll 1's on both dices, bearer gets wound with no Armour Save allowed. If you have 2 x 6's, bearer regains previously lost wound. Too random to be honest, good however if you play magic-light army and just want to annoy the opponent.

9. Daemon Flask of Ashak

This Enchanted Item costs you 100 freaking point, so that limits its allocation to your Prophets only. And with this cost it is the only magic item he may take. So we've got 2 logical choices.

First is a Bale Taurus charging Prophet-suicidal-terrorist, who flies towards enemy lines, swallows all the cannonballs, zzzapping-lasers-of-death, bullets, bricks, arrows, curses and death wishes, and all the rest of toss-able and shoot-able stuff you can imagine, only to literary drop a bomb at the end.

Second is your Artillery-Supporting-Prophet in the potentially final demise. Encircled by Skaven Stormfiends or some units with not-so-high LD that somehow passed through your defences.

Now, how this thing works - You use it at beginning of your Movement Phase, before charges are declared. All enemies within 18", not Immune to Psychology, or Unbreakable suffer Panic Test. Buildings, Structures, Chariots, Chariot-profile models, War Machines suffer D6 automatic wounds.

This thing is not a spell. Can't be dispelled. It is MASSIVE especially against Empire, Dwarfs, Skaven, and gun-line heavy armies. Try it against anything packed with war machines or chariots heavy. Don't have too high expectations about causing mass panic, as in 8th edition, especially within general's inspiring presence, LD tends to be high.

The thing is EXPENSIVE AS F*CK, but still, can be useful. Especially if you know what to expect of your opponent.

Blood of Hashut

It is not a magic item from Magic Items category, but just a fine addition accessible only to Prophets.

One time use for 20pts.

So, while in CC, INSTEAD of throwing standard attacks, you may use Blood of Hashut. You pick a single model in direct contact with yours, declare usage and roll a dice. Result different than 1 means success. It gives you D6 auto hits at a strength equal to the opponents armour save. So a Chaos Lord with Chaos Armour and Enchanted Shield (AS 2+ in total) is being wounded at 2+. No Armour Saves allowed against, damage inflicted as per usage of magic weapon and also count as Flaming Attack.

Nice, if you expect your Prophet to be engaged in close combat. Actually brutal.

Lore of Hashut

Update from "different Legion of Azgoth Fanatic".

First to remember is a devastating effect of miscast on your sorcerers, so chose wisely if you want to cast and with how many dices. By devastating effect I mean - after applying miscast effects you do a T test. If failed, you'd get additional 1 wound that no save may stop. But for first wound you get this way your T is now permanently raised by 1. This way, your Chaos Dwarf slowly irresistibly turns into stone.

So your prophet already has T5 so that gives you 66,6% chances to pass it. Give him stone mantle to reduce chance of f*ck-up and earthing rod for miscast result re-roll, and pray for a good rolls.

Standard lore composition as per all the lores - Attribute, Signature, 6 spells. Always aim for number 4, and number 6 later. Cheat, bribe, blackmail, torture but get the bloody number 4. Ok, the lore - here we go:

Attribute Spells 3,1 are Magic Missiles or Direct Damage that TARGET unit and therefore attribute applies only to them. If a magic missile or direct damage from this lore is targeted on model/models flammable, wizard gets +D3 to their casting. How many flammable models we have in the game? Almost none. So usable probably after successful Ashstorm only.

Signature - Breath of Hatred

Range 12", Augument, Remains in play, cast on 6 gives hatred to unit within a range. Roll 15 on casting to have a 12" big bubble.

Just take it, cast it at round 1, don't forget you did, and don't forget to thank for advice.

1. Burning Wrath

Range 8", Magic Missle that causes D6 S6 flaming wounds cast on 6, however you may cast boosted version on 12 giving 2D6.

Range is too short. Random number of wounds sucks. Situational. Up to you.

2. Dark Subjugation

Range 24" hex cast on 8. Subject must do LD test at -3. If fails permanently loses 1 of his LD.

Potentially good combo with -4LD test caused by Hellcanon. But for a good results you have to cast it couple times. And remember about potential ugly miscast results for your Prophet/Daemonsmith

3. Curse of Hashut

Range 18", Direct Damage, targets single model even if in unit. 2D6 minus target Toughness = number of hits, that wound on 4+ with no armour save allowed. Cast on 10.

Definitely better than Burning Wrath

4. Ash Storm

Range 24", hex, affects target unit till your next magic phase. Unlucky bastards have -1 to hit in CC, -2 to hit in shooting, can't march, fly, or charge - just move. Unit treats all terrain as dangerous. Wizards can only cast spells on themselves, and UNIT IS FLAMMABLE.

Flammable models gets wounds inflicted doubled If these were being made by flaming attacks. You dig?

Just imagine these Imperial Knights like in the middle of the burning forest with all the ash and thick smoke clouds making them nearly blind. Ashstorm them and then:

- Cast Metal on them as all spells from Lore of Metal are counted as Flaming attacks,

- Deathshrieker them, as these shots are flaming attacks,

- Shoot them or attack them with unit having a burning banner as both types of attacks are flaming in this case...

- Charge them with a Castellan wielding certain magic item described in here.

- Drop any possible damages (Hellcannon, Dreadquake, pistols, fireglaives, just use any means possible) on that unit, to cause a serious Panic

- Drop the whole Lore of Fire on them

OK, I went too far. Don't bother about using Lore of Fire. Metal is better. Also after proper damage treatment unit will have to Panic and if forced to run, will have to do the dangerous terrain test. THIS SPELL IS BRUTAL. Don't leave home without it.

5. Hell Hammer

Castable at 13, direct damage, range 3D6 in a straight line like a cannonball. Each model gets S6 hit with D3 multiple wounds. If unit gets a wound, it has to do the panic test. Boosted version is castable at 18 and doubles the range.

Defensive rather than offensive if your enemy has cannons. if not, well - has potential.

6. Flames of Azgorh

Unlimited range. Direct Damage small round template, scatter D6. Models touched = S6 hit with multiple wounds (D6). Model directly under the hole takes T test at -2 and if failed is slain with no saves allowed. Any saves. Cast on 18, boosted at 25, but you can use large template there.

Two key words - unlimited range. Just put the template at the target and cast it. Brutal. Although you risk miscast. Hell - 6 dice roll you'll probably get one. With lvl 4 Prophet you'd need 21 on 6 dices that means 5 x 3 and 1 x 6 i.e. Possible. Just use it after sniping enemy wizards with your Dreadquakes and Hellcannons. You don't want such an effort to be auto dispelled by the scroll, do you?

Flame, Smoke and Ash Tactics

Update from "different Legion of Azgoth Fanatic"

You have some straightforward tactical options, and some unusual bits you may want to add. You have dwarfs, strong artillery, monstrous cavalry, monsters/daemons and cheap infantry. Potentially with no synergy, but to find one, you'll have to look deeper. So, below you'd find some tactical bits and pieces.

Chaos Dwarf Infantry

Infernal Guard (core) or Ironsworn (special).

For better damage output go for Infernal Guard. They would fill up Core requirements, and their single model is cheaper - 12 vs 17 pts.

The first difference is in WS 4 vs 5, but your basic WS 4 will be enough in most cases. If in doubts check your To Hit table.

Next difference is in S - 4 vs 5. You can upgrade your Infernals' strength by adding great weapons or fireglaives, which you cannot do with Ironsworn - they have enscrolled weapons with +1 to S straight away. In first case Infernals will have S6 vs S5 Ironsworn. Initiative won't matter much, unless you're playing against Dwarfs or other low I armies. And you will have 2 or less anyway.

In second case (fireglaive) it will be S5 vs S5, and point value 17 per each model, but Infernals will give you nice output in shooting phase, and Ironsworn will remain with better armour save. Situational, as depends who would you field it against and in what role.

Ironsworn should be more comparable to Dwarfen Ironbreakers. Almost same stats, same Armour Save. But Ironsworn have S5, and cost you 17 pts and Ironbreakers S4 and 14 pts. Ironsworn also have flaming attacks ward save 5++. So I'd say they have potential, if you're looking for damage delivering tarpit. With AS 3+, T4, S5, they will be able to hold and crumble most of the core or special infantry units in the game. Due to a tarpit nature, I strongly suggest adding a Castellan to ensure their stubbornness.

Hobgoblins and Khans

Using them as small flanking units doesn't make sense. Not much damage output. Equipment depends on who you'll play against, but in my opinion their role should be same as horde of Clanrats - tarpit.

If given bows you'll get short range shooters dealing damage on same basis as night goblins. Mediocre the most. If with 2 hand weapons - good amount of low S attacks against low or none armoured units. I believe however in shield and hand weapon armoured slowing/supportive horde or 5 models wide column. Why? I've been tarpitted too many times by block of 50+ clanrats with spears and shields, so eventually I made some conclusions :)

In my last game block of 28 hobgoblins (hand + shield) + 2 khans, managed to stop 4 Stormfiends coming from the undergound. I lost like dozen of them in first round of CC, but somehow managed to kill 1&1/2 Stormfiend. Of course my greenskins had been decimated eventually, but bought me some time for fireglaivers and great weapons to save my cannons.

Your Hobgoblins also have these throwing knives to be used in stand and shoot reaction or just on proximity. But it's not over. Good idea is to insert 3 or 4 (or more) khans on foot in the unit.

Khans on wolfs are famous among many discussions as re-directors and lone characters/war-machine hunters. I've read opinions of people who had real boners for khan on wolf - but that will not work against experienced generals or when you play on 60 inches or more wide battlefield.

I played lot as Dwarfs and get my opponents eventually used to a surprising appearance of miners on their backs. So much, they eventually started doing the same. I played against Skaven and had Stormfiends on my ass once, and it wasn't pleasant (I played Dark Elves that time and eventually nerfed them with shooting and magic). Similar as with Snitch, who single handedly raped my 3 war-machines once. One of my opponents recently purchased Wulfrik, and I can bet money I'll have an ambushing Marauders on my ass next time (didn't). So no. Don't bother about Khan on Wolf. Your so called "lone war-machine hunter/ shooting re-director" must have some proper armour.

Now - about my idea - few khans in a hobgoblin heavy brick. Once we had 4 armies battle. One of the opponents struggled to meet the point criteria with his O&G army. I suggested him, to turn some of his Nightgoblins in the unit to a heroes. Guy set up a 50 models strong unit of Nightgoblins with 10 heroes, and they all had Great Weapons. It was all legit and, fuck me... we all regretted it. This unit shattered 6 Skullcrushers of Khorne and at some point guy had no opponents around this unit. We were too scared.

You can't give your khans GW, but with S4, just keep giving them extra hand weapons, magic weapons and other items to fill up your 25 pts allowance. Seeing your LoA heavy army, and shitloads of artillery, K'daai & Bullcentaurs, there is a strong chance your opponent will ignore this core requirements filler of hobos. At least till their 1st round of close combat.

Also - don't bother about animosity. O&G Animosity may cause troubles. Yours has 16.6% chance to impact you in good way, and 16.6% of giving bad results. Still - would be nice to have Castellan with Banner of Slavery right behind them. Just in case.

So in summary - block or few of 50 or 50+ hobos with few khans inside units and Banner of Slavery behind them. one of the Khans may have ironcurse icon, to give the whole unit 1+ Armour Save against shooting.

Everyone keep diminishing Greenskins role in LoA army, so prove them wrong :)

Artillery & Rape Train

Hashut sent his blessing on you in this category.

Dreadquake Mortar - make advantage of its range 12-72. Always take Ogre to avoid slow loading and to add extra 4 wound. Shoots S5 (S10 in centre) with your small template and should be directed to enemy's wizards, artillery, buff wagons, cavalry.

When taking Hellbound upgrade - be aware, as it bounds a daemon in your war machine and that means lore of light or Luminark may do a bu-bu to it. It is bit fucked up, and to be honest you have to discuss it with your mates, but me and mine established eventually that Hellcannons and Hellbound Warmachines - as crunch keeps saying about bounding daemons in these - are daemonic. And that leads us to next paragraph - how to use your Mortar and artillery.

First of all - fuck the infantry with a rusty blade. Your infantry would and should deal with them. Dreadquake has task of destroying dangerous stuff, or to stop them from moving due to a Quake. So, unleash wrath of Dawi Zharr against Sorcerers, Warmachines, Monsters and This Empire General on a Gryphon. SNIPE. Turn your Daemonsmith to a sniper using a train-wagon-mortar. One of my Dreadquakes recently survived Empire's Luminark, and 2 shoots from cannon. With 1 wound left.

In my last game I had 2 Mortars, Hellcannon and Deathshriek - not to mention blunderbusses, fireglaives, throwing knives and shooting Iron Daemon. Basically the only non shooty unit in my army was K'daai Destroyer. And boy - against Empire (tank, 3 cannons, 2 hellblasters, Luminark), Skaven (wheel, 2 zzzapguns, around 6 jezails, bell) and Chaos (2 Hellcannons, warshrine) I've been shooting all around like a fucking maniac.

You have an idea now, how me and my mates do play our games - "No hard feelings but fuck you, fuck you and especially FUCK YOU!!! No remorse, no respite, no regrets".

Remember that as standard - all Artillery in the game is Move or Fire, so cannons hit by Dreadquake's template have to pass the test if want to fire. As per description of Quake.

Daemonsmith nearby obligatory. Steam Carriage only as hard cover if you think you'll be eventually within your foes shooting-non-artillery units. But Dreadquake on carriage looks soooooo damn good :) If towed by Iron Deamon, you may maneouver with your choo-choo-rape-train to give a mobile hard cover to some of your infantry units.

And remember - as per FW FAQ - you have to use small template. If you have doubts - it shoots as Stone Thrower from Rulebook, and Stone Thrower uses small round template.

Deathshriek - I never fire at characters with it. IT IS A WASTE OF A SHOT. Even with daemon-smith's re-rolls it's still too random - cos u have to get a direct hit. In terms of character on foot it's almost fucking-impossible. If you aim at something big or on flyer, or Chariot, or buff wagon it looks slightly better. But still - sniping shot is an act of desperation.

It is good however on delivering fire damage to flammable units (Hello Ashstorm my old friend...), or infantry blocks. You use a large template, and roll, but if you missed the unit, you try to hit again with small template. So technically you roll to establish where, then you re-roll due to a daemon-smith's re-rolls and if dices still hate you to guts, you roll 3rd time to get the hit into the target with small template now. Deathshriek is cheap comparing to Hellcannon or Dreadquake, but I took mine for LOLZ.

Played 12 rounds - 4 armies - 23k-ish points game. Kept missing with it tragically in 11 rounds (1 hit), and then in 12th with a sniping shot actually managed to made a tactically critical hit and destroy Empire's Great Cannon. Nice!

Hellcannon - Daemonsmith's re-rolls make it more reliable then when set up in WoC army. Main thing to remember is it is Monster. Monster with Handlers, that shoots, and it is how it should be treated. Also as Monster it Thunderstomps when charged. Solid choice. But I'd go for a Dreadquake due to a range and Quake, and amount of wounds it can take.

Magma Cannon - If you plan to sit around that hill and not to move for x rounds, DO take it. With Ashstorm it will leave ruin and smoking melting boneyard of your foes. 24" range? D3 wounds, proper S? Brutal. Just make sure you didn't take too many, cos your friends may stop playing against you.

Iron Deamon - shooting - May move and shoot, may act even, when you'll roll 2 x misfire, as you'd blow the cannons only.

The way it moves is slightly different than normal unit, yet similar to Empire's Steamtank (btw: THAT THING IS BROKEN. I fragged it from 10W to 2W, and still couldn't kill the fucking thing. And it was still shooting. F*CK!!!)

It is a brutal and reliable machine, that grinds through infantry, and the only thing you have to be careful about are direct hits from cannons with S10. Short range of steam boiler cannons - 18 " only, but very reliable. Mine shoot to death Deathmaster Snitch, finished severely wounded Doomwheel, and stopped Skaven Bell and 40 clanrats. I can only regret I have only 1.

And don't forget about Thunderstomp & Impact Hits

You cannot take Hellbound for it as it is Unique unit type.

Iron Deamon - cracking

I didn't use one - I wanted but FW removed it from its range. Simply speaking - Iron Daemon that does not shoot, but uses steam power to keep these drills running. Even more brutal when in combat with 2D6 Thunderstomps (compering to 1D6 of normal Iron Daemon), but has to get there.

Monsters and Monstrous Cavalry

K'daai Fireborn - Main issue with their Burning Bright is that since turn 2 you have to test their T.

Let me remind you how Characteristic Test looks like - If you'd roll less or equal to your characteristic, you had passed. Fireborn have T4, which gives them 33% to fail the test. If failed, you have D3 wounds for each failure, and with your W = 2 that means YOU JUST HAD FRAGGED YOURSELF.

Useless. Ignore. Don't bother.

K'daai Destroyer - Starting with important stuff - Burning Bright T6 - You pass the test if 1D6 = T or is lower than yours. Avoid all spells lowering T stats, avoid rolls for "1"

They are Unstable, and that means each wound on them will hurt. Daemon in terms of spells from light lore, so watch yourself. And unit eater if you'd manage to get it in contact against block of foes.

I have one as it has highest I in the whole army (I5), and I needed something big and bulky to counter Stormfiends as soon as they'd appear (know your enemy). It's awesome, but broken - things resistant to fire or magical attacks will stop it. Yet - had mine fighting against 40 Empire Halberds, Sigmarite Priest and 10 Great Swords. He killed most of them, then eventually destroyed them to a point they lost steadfast, made them run like a lil' bitches, chased them and killed the rest. Only to be smashed by Hellblaster. Fair Trade in terms of points, and epic LOLZ in terms of fun. Next time I will field LoA, I am sure my opponents will try to frag it to death, along with Iron Daemon :) So - 50 models. 3 rounds of CC. And I had 1 wound left at the very start. Had some amazing rolls, and my opponent rolled 1 "6" to wound in 3 rounds of CC.

It's same thing with Destroyer as with Empire Steam Tank - first wound on it will hurt the most, and the rest of them is inevitable.

Bull Centaurs - solid choice. taken only as a blocker to other Monstrous Cavalry or Cavalry. I had them facing Demigryphs, Skullcrushers and Dragon Ogres, so Great Weapon is the logical option. However with low initiative, in the battle on attrition against the aformentioned, they will eventually fail. Maybe they would have more sense in 7th, but in 8th edition, that elevates infantry, war-machines and supportive magic rules - better buy more Dawi Zharr :)

Siege Giant - I have no good opinion about giants at all. Once my Chaos Giant had been eaten alive by giant rats as they wounded him more than he did them - He failed on LD, run away few inches, and they just followed finishing him off. So this variant, even if armoured, still has random attacks. And that makes giants in my eyes un-re-li-ab-le. Period. If you really want to spent 200-ish points on something, you have better choices.

Case for Castellans

First of all - you don't have good fighting lords. You just have Drazoath - that is mediocre in terms of stats and skills, although the model itself looks nice. Fighting Prophet is... decent, but it cannot face Karl Franz, Lord on Dragon, Archaon, or any posterboy Lord. So you have to use what you got - these versatile heroes and make sure to have quite a few.

So with your Castellan - you basically get the stats of Dwarf Thane with LD9 instead of LD10 for 40 pts more. What saves you in here are good LoA magic items, access to magic items from main rule-book and 75 pts big slot to fill.

And that is the real charm of Warhammer - what gives you a real twist - finding a balance. A bloody zen in the Hashut garden. Gold proportion in between units in your army and army's composition. As LoA really rely on your infantry, guns and Prophets, use Castellans as supportive character. Their presence in a unit makes your infantry Stubborn (and your standard Armour Save is 4+ with 5++ Ward Save against flames). Give them some real damage dealing weapons, and see the world burns.

Of course - what you get to your Castellans depends on location, tactics and who you intend to play against. If opponents will be moaning "you fielded too much artillery", well, your excuse is - lack of Lords, apart of one sad type and one sad character only to be used in AoS (fuck AoS). And after all Legion of Azgorh is just a penal company/border garrison of the Empire of Fire and Ash.

I established 3 types of Castellan build.

1. "Incoming fire from the sky" Castellan - if you have a spare Castellan, give him Arabyan Carpet, Shield of Ptolos, and either fireglaive or great weapon. And use him as a shooting regiment, wizard or war-machine lone hunter.

2. "Must obliterate this scum" Castellan - Black Hammer of Hashut for 2+ to S, and to kill outright flammable model, Potion of Speed to make his Initiative upgraded from 3 to 6, and some defensive equipment to discard hits in fight. As you can see it works perfectly with Ashstorm.

3. "Hold the line you maggots" Castellan - Tankish armour or Ward Save, Great Weapon and Pistol, or Fireglaive. Just to have Hero in Unit with damage output. May want to add ironcurse Icon for 5 pts - that gives whole unit 6++ Ward Save against shooting from warmachines.