Are you excited about the new AoS Forbidden Power expansion? While this one looks cool, let’s decide if the Defenders of Lethis army list is worth it!
You can see the first army from forbidden power which is a mixture of Stormcast Eternals, Khadron Overlords, Fyreslayers, Idoneth Deepkin, and a couple of mortal units in a single force.
This is my stab at building a semi-decent Defenders of Lethis force that might surprise your opponents a little bit. I even put in the new unique scenery piece (which I think costs too much at 100 points) but it looks really cool, so why not?
Your Leaders are a little bit of a mixed bag, but they are all about buffing your units and making use of low point leaders. They are not going to go toe to toe with any larger monsters but if you manage to use your gun line good enough to kill off the units before they reach you, they can certainly finish them off.
- Lord Ordinator: 140 Points (Leader 1 of 6)
- Auric Runesmiter: 120 Points (Leader 2 of 6)
- Bjorgen Thundrik: 260 Points (Leader 3 of 6)
- Excelsior Warpriest: 80 Points (Leader 4 of 6)
- Knight Azyros: 100 Points (Leader 5 of 6) – General
- Lord Relictor: 100 Points (Leader 6 of 6)
Total: 800 Points
Lord Ordinator: Move 5”, Save 4+, 9 Bravery, 5 Wounds.
Has 2 melee weapon options the first is Astral Hammers: Range 1”, 6 attacks, hitting on a 4+, wounding on a 3+ for 1 damage. If two or more hit rolls is a 6 the attack does D3 mortal wounds as well. Or an Astral Grandhammer: Range 1”, hitting and wounding on a 3+, with -1 rend for 2 damage. If a hit roll is a 6 it deals 2 mortal wounds instead of regular damage. Arcane Engineer: Add 1 to hit rolls for attacks made by Order War Machines, while they are whole within 9” of Lord Ordinator. Command Ability Solemn Duty: Used at the start of the battleshock phase, allows friendly Stormcast Eternals wholly within 18” of this model to be immune to battleshock tests.
Excelsior Warpriest: Move 6”, 4+ Save, 8 Bravery, 5 Wounds.
He carries a Warhammer: Range 1”, 4 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 4+, for 1 Damage. In your hero phase roll a dice and on a 3+ pick a unit within 10”. A friendly unit heals 1 wound (D3 is order), or an enemy unit suffers 1 mortal wound(D3 if Chaos). He can attempt to unbind 1 spell a turn, and can also bring in his gryph hound after you set him up.
Auric Runesmiter: Move 4”, 5+ Save, 7 Bravery, 5 Wounds.
He has 1 missile weapon throwing axes: Range 8”, 1 Attack, Hitting and Wounding on a 5+, for 1 Damage. Then he has potentially 2 melee weapons if you choose runic iron, the first is latch axe: Range 1”, 1 Attack, Hitting on a 4+, Wounding on a 3+, for 2 Damage. Then Runic Iron: Range 1”, 2 Attacks, Hitting on a 3+, Wounding on a 4+, for 1 Damage. This model lets you set him and 1 unit with him in reserve to be set up at the end of your movement phase more than 9” from the enemy. He can cast runic empowerment which goes off on a 3+, and it lets a friendly unit wholly within 12’ (18” if you choose to forge key over runic irons) that can re-roll wound rolls.
Bjorgen Thundrik: Move 4”, 4+ Save, 7 Bravery, 5 Wounds.
They have a missile weapon: Range 10”, 3D6 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 4+, with -2 Rend, for 1 Damage. Then his melee attack is: Range 1”, 3 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 4+, for 1 Damage. In your hero phase choose 1 friendly Skyfarers unit within 10” of this model and add 1 to the Attacks for 1 type of weapon. Subtract 1 from the Attacks characteristic of melee weapons used by enemy models within 3” of this model.
Knight Azyros: Move 12” (fly), 3+ Save, 9 Bravery, 5 Wounds
He has a single weapon the starblade: Range 1”, 4 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 1 Damage. You can re roll hit rolls of 1 for attacks made by friendly units that target enemy models within 10” of this model. Once per battle in your hero phase you can use this models beacon dealing D3 mortal wounds to all enemy units within 8”, or D6 if they are chaos.
Lord Relictor: Move 4”, 3+ Save, 9 Bravery, 5 Wounds.
He has a single weapon attack the relic hammer: Range 1”, 4 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 1 Damage. He has two different prayers you can choose to use one in your hero phase, the first is healing storm: Goes off on 3+, Range 12”, a friendly model is the target, it heals D3 wounds. The other prayer is Lightning Storm: Goes off on 3+, Range 12”, the enemy unit is the target, it suffers D3 mortal wounds and suffers a -1 to its hit rolls until your next hero phase.
Battleline Troops
Next, we need some battleline troops to build your force around. The liberators are there to be speed bumps and meat shields (which they happen to be good at), but they aren’t going to win you any games. While the Arkanaut Company brings in a decent gun line battleline with the sky hooks to add to your gun line.
- 5 Liberators: 100 Points (Battleline 1 of 3)
- 5 Liberators: 100 Points (Battleline 2 of 3)
- 10 Arkanaut Company: 120 Points (Battleline 3 of 3)
Total 1120
Liberators: Move 5”, 4+ Save, 7 Bravery, 2 Wounds.
They have 4 different weapon options the first is either a Warhammer: Range 1”, 2 Attacks, Hitting on a 4+, Wounding on a 3+, for 1 Damage. The other choice is a Warblade: Range 1”, 2 Attacks, Hitting on a 3+, Wounding on a 4+, for 1 Damage. Then, 1 in 5 models can carry either a Grandhammer: Range 1”, 2 Attacks, Hitting on a 4+, Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 2 Damage. Or a Grandblade: Range 1”, 2 Attacks, Hitting on a 3+, Wounding on a 4+, with -1 Rend, for 2 Damage. The prime adds 1 to his attacks characteristic (it should always be the grandhammer or grandblade). You can add 1 to hit rolls for attacks made by this unit that targets an enemy unit with wounds characteristic of 5 or more. If you choose paired weapons instead of shields hit rolls of 6 deal an additional hit, otherwise if you use shields they can re-roll save rolls of 1.
Arkanaut Company: Move 4”, 5+ Save, 6 Bravery, 1 Wound.
They have 3 different options for missile weapons the first is pistol: Range 12”, 2 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 4+, for 1 Damage. Or a Volley Gun: Range 18”, 6 Attacks, Hitting on a 5+, Wounding on a 4+, with -1 Rend, for 1 Damage. Or a Skyhook: Range 24”, 1 Attacks, Hitting on a 4+, Wounding on a 3+, with -2 Rend, for D3 Damage. If they carry a pistol they also carry a cutter: Range 1”, 1 Attack, Hitting and Wounding on a 4+, for 1 Damage. 3 in 10 can carry the Volley Gun or Skyhook instead in which case they use Gun Butts for a melee attack: Range 1”, Attacks 1, Hitting on a 4+, Wounding on a 5+, for 1 Damage. Finally, instead of a specialist gun, you can take a Skypike: Range 2”, 2 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 4+, with -1 Rend, for D3 Damage. Add 1 to hit rolls if this unit targets a hero or a monster. Finally, the captain gets an additional pistol and cutter attack.
Shooting & Counter Assault
Next, let’s add in some troops that are more elite and will be able to dish out some damage. The Berzerkers are going to be your hammer in this force and should make short work out of anything they come across. While the Celestar Ballista’s will be able to hopefully take down any large monsters at range before they reach your liberators.
- 20 Hearthguard Berzerkers: 480 Points
- 4 Thundrik’s Profiteers: 0 Points (Taken with Brokk)
- Celestar Ballista: 100 Points (Artillery 1 of 4)
- Celestar Ballista: 100 Points (Artillery 2 of 4)
- Celestar Ballista: 100 Points (Artillery 3 of 4)
Total 1900
Hearthguard Berzerkers: Move 4″, 5+ Save, 8 Bravery, 2 Wounds.
He has 1 missile weapon Throwing Axes: Range 8”, 1 Attack, Hitting and Wounding on a 5+, for 1 Damage. Then they are armed with either a Broadaxe: Range 2”, 2 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 2 Damage. Otherwise, they have Poleaxes: Range 2”, 2 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, for 1 Damage. (6’s to hit do 2 mortal wounds as well). The leader is a karl and adds 1 to his Attacks. Each time this unit takes a wound or mortal wound roll a dice on a 6+ that wound is ignored, add 2 to this roll if there is a friendly Hero wholly within 10” of this unit.
Thundrik’s Profiteers: Move 4”, 4+ Save, 7 Bravery, 1 Wounds.
This army has a variety of weapons listed as follows (each model in the unit gets one): The first missile weapon is a Volley Gun: Range 18”, 6 Attacks, Hitting on a 5+, Wounding on a 4+, with -1 Rend, for 1 Damage. Then another has a Rifle: Range 18”, 4 Attacks, Hitting on a 3+, Wounding on a 4+, with -1 Rend, for 1 Damage. Privateer Pistol: Range 12”, 2 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 4+, for 1 Damage. Then a Vulcaniser Pistol: Range 9”, 1 Attack, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 1 Damage. For melee weapons they have Cutters: Range 1”, 2 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 4+, for 1 Damage. Then Gun Butt: Range 1”, 2 Attacks, Hitting on a 4+, Wounding on a 5+, for 1 Damage. Finally a Skypike: Range 2”, 3 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 4+, with -1 Rend, for D3 Damage. The leader has an additional wound and can fly. Add 1 to hit rolls for attacks made by this unit that targets a hero or monster.
Celestar Ballista: Move “, 4+ save, 7 bravery, 7 wounds.
Has a missile weapon with two different option the first is single shot: Range 3”, 1 attack, hitting and wounding on a 3+, with -2 rend for 1 damage. The second option is to instead use rapid fire: Range 18”, 4 attacks, hitting on a 5+, wounding on a 3+, with -2 rend for 1 damage. Melee weapon is sigmarite blades: Range 1 inch, 4 attacks, hitting and wounding on a 4+, for 1 damage. If this unit is in cover add 2 to its save rolls rather than just 1. For each hit from the missile weapons roll a D6 and that is how many hits it is instead of just 1. Finally, we are going to add in a Penumbral Engine cause it that is what these guys are defending. Personally, I think the army should get one for free but in matched play, you still gotta pay for it. Still, you can place it as an obstacle near your ballista’s to prevent them from being charged from any sort of deepstrike units.
- Penumbral Engine: 100 Points (Scenery)
Total 2000
Scenery / Terrain
Penumbral Engine:
At the start of the battle round, roll a die to see what the penumbral engine is currently doing: One a 1-3 it allows you to re-roll save rolls of 1 that target units wholly within 12” of the feature. One a 4-6 You receive an extra command point if any friendly heroes are within 12” of the feature. At the start of each battle round, roll a die, on a 5+ the Penumbral Engine switches to the other ability it has.
Loadouts:
For this army, we are going to give the Auric Runesmiter the Prayer Morrda’s Embrace and the forge key. Then the Excelsior Warpriest is going to get the Morrda’s Eye prayer. Next, your general, the Knight Azyros is going to get the command trait Solemn Soul and the Crown of Feathers Artifact. You last leader the Lord Relictor will receive the Morrda’s Resurrection prayer as a bonus prayer. Your units, of course, give your primes in the Liberators the grandhammers for each unit. For your Berzerkers the Broadaxes are a solid choice, and then for Arkanut Company, you are going to want 3 Skyhooks.
Tactics: This army is mostly a gunline type of army with a few twists that might surprise your opponent. The Berzerkers along with the Auric Runesmiter are key as they are a very good close combat unit that can go toe to toe with almost anything in this game. They need to be set up from the underworld turn one and either claiming an objective or punching something in the face, or both. Meanwhile, when you set up your Lord Ordinator and 3 Celestar Ballisatas do so in a manner where you can maximize your field of vision and fit in the Penumbral Engine behind or to the side of them to create a barrier from deepstriking units. It is considered an obstacle so things cannot land on it or move through it so combined with other terrain it can really help protect your Ballistas. Focus fire is key, you need to bring down any big targets that get close to you as besides the Bezerkers you are lacking in the hand to hand combat. Use the Arkanaut Company to finish off any models your Ballistas didn’t finish and to claim objectives along with the Profiteers. Your liberators can be backed up by the priests and should be claiming objectives and providing covers for your guns, as they are not going to do much damage with their weapons. With some careful planning and lucky rolls, you can hopefully shoot off your main threats in one or two turns and use the Bezerkers to claim and hold territory on your enemies’ side. If your three Ballistas are shooting at whoever you want for all 5 battlerounds you are in pretty good shape.
There you have it a fun Defenders of Lethis army, and while I don’t think it will be competitive it is a fun type of gunline list. While seeming really cool in thought, the final output may not be so great. I do not see this list being very good from a competitive standpoint. Too much of these units are built with these allegiance abilities in mind.
I think it would be great for narrative play as a city garrison or what not, but you might grab a victory here and there with it in matched play as well.
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