Alliegiance Abilities - Beastmen
This section describes the allegiance abilities available to a BEASTMEN army, including battle traits for the army, command traits for its general and the artefacts of power available to its heroes. BEASTMEN armies can include only include units with the BEASTS OF CHAOS keyword. They have the same allies available as BEASTS OF CHAOS armies.
Battle Traits
The Herdstone
The foul megaliths erected by the Beasts of Chaos warp and corrupt the land around them.
After territories have been chosen but before players begin to set up their armies, you can set up one HERDSTONE (pg 103, Battletome: Beasts of Chaos) wholly within your territory, more than 12" from enemy territory and more than 1" from any other terrain features. If both players can set up a terrain feature in this manner, each player rolls a dice, rolling again in the case of a tie, and whoever rolls higher can choose the order in which the terrain features are set up.
Chaotic Herds
The strange and varied forms of the Beastmen each have their own distinct tactics on the battlefield
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Brayherd Ambush: Instead of setting up a BRAYHERD unit on the battlefield, you can place it to one side and say that it is set up in ambush as a reserve unit. You can set up one reserve unit in ambush for each BEASTS OF CHAOS unit you have set up on the battlefield. At the end of your movement phase, you can set up any of these units that are in ambush on the battlefield, wholly within 6" of the edge of the battlefield and more than 9" from any enemy units. Any units which are not set up on the battlefield before the start of the fourth battle round are slain.
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Creatures of the Storm: At the start of your hero phase, roll a dice. Each friendly THUNDERSCORN unit more than 3" from any enemy units can move a distance in inches equal to the roll, but cannot move within 3" of any enemy units. If the roll is a 3+, each enemy unit within 3" of a friendly THUNDERSCORN unit suffers a mortal wound.
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Bloodgorge: At the end of the combat phase, if any attacks made by a WARHERD unit in that combat phase destroyed any enemy units, heal D3 wounds allocated to that WARHERD unit. In addition, that WARHERD unit re-rolls failed wound rolls for the remainder of the game.
Primal Fury
The Primal Herds of the Beastmen are consumed with a savage fury at the promise of battle.
At the beginning of your combat phase, each friendly BEASTS OF CHAOS BATTLELINE unit that is within 3" of an enemy unit must roll a die. If the result is lower than their Bravery characteristic, they add 1 to hit rolls until the end of the turn.
Desecrators of Civilization
Of all the beastmen, Gors in particular enjoy capturing and defiling symbols of civilization.
Friendly GORS units add 1 to their wound rolls and Attacks characteristic while within 6" of an objective.
Designer's Note
It would be preferable to buff the Gors warscroll to have 2 attacks and get a different bonus at ~15 models instead of the current 20+ one (and be 80 points). However, I did not want to edit warscrolls for this project.
Greatfrays
Each of the Greatfrays wages war in its own uniquely savage way.
If your army is a Beastmen army, you can give it a Greatfray keyword. All BEASTS OF CHAOS units in your army gain that keyword. You can either choose one of the Greatfrays listed below, or choose another Greatfray you have read about or created yourself. If you choose one from the list below, all units with that keyword benefit from the extra abilities listed for that Greatfray on the page indicated. If you choose a different Greatfray, simply pick the Greatfray that most closely matches the nature of your own.
- Allherd v2 (pg 2)
- Darkwalkers v2 (pg 3)
- Gavespawn v2 (pg 3)
PRIMORDIAL CALL
The din of battle and scent of gore call to all Beasts of Chaos, beckoning them to join the hunt.
You can summon units of BEASTS OF CHAOS to the battlefield if you collect enough Primordial Call points. At the start of your hero phase, you receive 1 Primordial Call point. In addition, in your hero phase you can choose one friendly BEASTS OF CHAOS HERO within 3" of the HERDSTONE you set up at the start of the battle and say that they will enact a savage blood ritual. If you do so, pick a friendly BEASTS OF CHAOS unit within 3" of the HERDSTONE. That unit suffers D3 mortal wounds. For each mortal wound inflicted on that unit, you receive 1 Primordial Call point.
If you have 3 or more Primordial Call points at the end of your movement phase, you can summon one or more units from the following list onto the battlefield, and add them to your army. Each unit you summon costs a number of Primordial Call points, as shown on the list, and you can only summon a unit if you have enough Primordial Call points remaining to pay its cost. Summoned units must be set up wholly within 6" of the edge of the battlefield and more than 9" from any enemy units. Subtract the cost of the summoned unit from the number of Primordial Call points you have available immediately after it has been set up.
| Unit | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1 Chimera | 10 |
| 1 Ghorgon | 10 |
| 3 Tzaangor Skyfires | 10 |
| 1 Chaos Gargant | 9 |
| 1 Cygor | 9 |
| 10 Tzaangors | 9 |
| 3 Bullgors | 8 |
| 1 Jabberslythe | 8 |
| 3 Dragon Ogors | 7 |
| 3 Tzaangor Enlightened on Discs | 7 |
| 10 Bestigors | 6 |
| 1 Cockatrice | 5 |
| 3 Tzaangor Enlightened | 5 |
| 5 Centigors | 4 |
| 10 Chaos Warhounds | 4 |
| 10 Gors | 4 |
| 10 Ungor Raiders | 4 |
| 1 Chaos Spawn | 3 |
| 1 Tuskgor Chariot | 3 |
| 1 Razorgor | 3 |
| 10 Ungors | 3 |
Allherd
Ferocious and formidable, the Allherd are the most numerous of all the Greatfrays. Their teeming beastherds have spread throughout the Mortal Realms, and by enfolding the most wily and powerful Chaos creatures into their ranks, the Allherd ensures that its raging stampedes continue to grow.
The beasts of the Allherd consider themselves to be the ultimate despoilers of the Mortal Realms. Led by bold and domineering alphabeasts, they surge towards their enemies in the civilised lands, crushing all before them through unbridled ferocity and sheer weight of numbers. Though possessed of predatory cunning, the bestial warriors of the Allherd relinquish their man-like intelligence once they are in the thick of battle, allowing their pure animal fury to be unleashed upon their foes. Fear and reason are discarded, replaced by a primal hunger for combat and desecration.
The wild domains of the Allherd are truly vast, and they continually expand as the thronging beastherds grow even larger. As the Allherd takes over more and more territory, they engage in brutal internecine wars with rival Greatfrays, butchering droves of their bestial kin and recruiting the most powerful creatures from amongst the defeated. In this way, the Allherd is always replete with savage warriors who compete amongst each other to prove their dominance.
The Allherd are an ever-present threat to the civilised races, carrying out constant raids on outposts and fortress towns, as well as launching massed stampedes that obliterate whole nations. Their warpaths are so redolent with anarchic fury that Chaos-warped beasts are drawn from far and wide to join in the slaughter.
Abilities
Bestial Might
The hordes of the Allherd thrive in the thick of battle, where they rampage through enemy lines uncowed and unstopped.
If an ALLHERD unit is wholly within 6" of an ALLHERD HERO, they can re-roll wound rolls of 1 for attacks made with melee weapons. In addition, increase the Bravery characteristic of ALLHERD units by 1 while they are within 3" of an enemy unit.
Artefect of Power
The first ALLHERD HERO to receive an artefact of power must be given the Blade of the Desecrator.
Blade of the Desecrator: Said to be Chaos incarnate, this weapon’s etched runes glow as it tears foes asunder.
Pick one of the bearer’s melee weapons. Improve the Rend characteristic of that weapon by 1 for attacks that target a unit of 10 or more models. Improve the Rend characteristic of that weapon by 2 instead for attacks that target a unit of 20 or more models. Attacks made by this weapon cannot have a Rend characteristic greater than -3.
Command Trait
An ALLHERD BEASTLORD general must have this command trait instead of one listed on pages 62-63.
Dominator: This beast leads from the fore, hacking into the foe to spur on his savage warriors.
You can re-roll charge rolls made for friendly ALLHERD units wholly within 18" of this general if this general is within 3" of any enemy units.
Command Ability
Booming Roar: A ferocious bellow resonates out into the wilderness, beckoning all to join the great Allherd in their slaughter.
You can use this command ability at the start of your hero phase. If you do so, you receive 1 Primordial Call point.
Darkwalkers
The Darkwalkers are apex ambushers who rule over the most remote places in each realm. Spiteful and wily, they hunt by luring their prey deep into ancient forests and desolate wastelands, encircling enemy armies and cutting off routes of escape before pouncing from the shadows to butcher the terrified enemy.
The strength and ferocity of the Darkwalkers is equalled only by their hateful cunning. More than any other Greatfray they rely on surprise and misdirection when laying waste to their foes. To the beasts of this Greatfray, the land itself is a weapon to be used against the civilised races, and they make use of tangled jungles, mistcovered swamps and darkened mountain passes in order to outmanoeuvre and outwit their enemies. Even the most lumbering gor-kin or Thunderscorn beast of the Darkwalkers is able to blend into the shadows, and from there they loom over their unsuspecting prey and wait for the time to strike.
Darkwalker beastherds are nomadic, travelling from land to land as they spread anarchy and desecration. They can cover great distance in impossibly short spans of time, and are expert at cutting off fleeing foes or intercepting reinforcing troops before they have adjoined the main body of their army. The beasts of this Greatfray have an instinctual understanding of Realmgates, and know the locations and destinations of countless hidden portals. By luring pursuing enemies through these secreted gateways, the Darkwalkers scatter vast armies across multiple realms before hunting down each isolated pocket of foes. Should the enemy somehow manage to regroup, the Darkwalkers simply retreat back into the shadows, emerging once more where the enemy leasts suspects.
Abilities
Shadowbeasts
The Darkwalkers are apex ambushers, luring their foes into the shadows before pouncing upon them.
WARHERD and THUNDERSCORN units in a DARKWALKERS army are considered to have the BRAYHERD keyword for the purposes of the Brayherd Ambush battle trait (pg 3). In addition, DARKWALKERS units can re-roll failed charge rolls if they were set up using the Brayherd Ambush battle trait in the same turn.
Artefect of Power
The first DARKWALKERS HERO to receive an artefact of power must be given the Desolate Shard.
Desolate Shard: Roughly hewn and black as night, this stone shard exudes the corruption of the Chaos wilds.
At the start of your hero phase, the bearer can use the Desolate Shard if they are within 1" of a terrain feature. If they do so, roll a dice for each enemy unit within 3" of that terrain feature. On a 4+ that enemy unit suffers D3 mortal wounds.
Command Trait
A DARKWALKERS BEASTLORD general must have this command trait instead of one listed on pages 62-63.
Nomadic Leader: This swift and deadly alphabeast drives his bestial kin to spread terror far and wide.
Add 1 to run and charge rolls for friendly DARKWALKERS units while they are wholly within 12" of this general.
Command Ability
Savage Encirclement: Barking orders in an animal tongue, the Darkwalkers alphabeast orders their warriors back into the shadows, enabling them to prowl unseen while they outflank the enemy.
You can use this command ability at the end of your movement phase. If you do so, pick a friendly DARKWALKERS unit that is more than 9" from any enemy units and wholly within 18" of a friendly DARKWALKERS HERO. Remove that unit from the battlefield and place it to one side. At the end of your next movement phase, set that unit up again anywhere on the battlefield more than 9" from any enemy units.
Gavespawn
The Gavespawn are worshippers of the Chaos entity known as Morghur, and in his name they seek to reduce all of existence to a writhing whirl of pure anarchy. Grotesquely twisted, even by the standards of the Beasts of Chaos, the creatures of the Gavespawn launch stampedes to spread their devolvement throughout the civilised lands.
The beasts of the Gavespawn skitter and crawl as they charge across the battlefield, and in a frenzy of lashing limbs they hack into their foes. Their savagery is accompanied by unnatural howls and profane jabberings that give praise to Morghur. After the enemy have been massacred, the warped beasts take the mutilated remains of the dead to their Herdstones, where they are offered up to the Great Devolver.
More so than any other Beasts of Chaos, the creatures of this Greatfray are abhorrent for a sane mind to behold, their bodies contorted and their horns twisted into cruel configurations. To the Gavespawn, there are no greater creations of Chaos than Chaos Spawn, for they are seen as the progeny of Morghur, to be emulated in their mindlessness and impossibly warped form. The mightiest Gavespawn champions may even receive the ultimate blessing of their nightmarish patron and be reborn as a Chaos Spawn when they are cut down in battle.
It is common amongst the Gavespawn for Bray-Shamans to lead their beastherds, for they are the speakers of Morghur’s word and the bringers of his mutative magic. By steering the stampedes of their beastherds towards nodes of warping energy, they seek to tear open the rents between the Chaos and Mortal Realms, for they believe that when all of existence is reduced to anarchy, Morghur will be made manifest.
Abilities
Gift of Morghur
The Gavespawn see spawndom not as a curse, but as an ascension into devolution.
If a friendly GAVESPAWN HERO is slain, one CHAOS SPAWN is added to your army. Set up the CHAOS SPAWN anywhere on the battlefield within 6" of the slain HERO. If the HERO had the KHORNE, NURGLE, SLAANESH or TZEENTCH keyword, the same keyword must be chosen for the CHAOS SPAWN . If they did not, you cannot use the Cursed of the Dark Gods ability to choose a keyword for that CHAOS SPAWN .
Artefect of Power
The first artefact of power given to a GAVESPAWN HERO must be the Mutating Gnarlblade.
Mutating Gnarlblade: This weapon writhes with coiled tentacles and fanged maws.
Pick one of the bearer’s melee weapons. Add 2 to the Damage characteristic of that weapon. However, each unmodified hit roll of 1 for attacks made with that weapon inflicts 1 mortal wound upon the bearer after all of the bearer’s attacks have been made.
Command Trait
A GAVESPAWN GREAT BRAY-SHAMAN general must have this command trait instead of one listed on pages 62-63.
Unravelling Aura: In the presence of this alphabeast, magic devolves into anarchic Chaos energy.
This general can attempt to unbind 1 additional spell in the enemy hero phase.
Command Ability
Propagator of Devolution: The Gavespawn view Chaos Spawn as holy creations of Morghur, and are driven to emulate their frenetic savagery.
You can use this command ability at the start of the combat phase. If you do so, pick a friendly GAVESPAWN unit wholly within 12" of a friendly GAVESPAWN CHAOS SPAWN . Add 1 to the Attacks characteristic of that unit’s melee weapons until the end of that phase.