They are after Ur-Gold! Don’t miss the latest tactics breakdown on playing the Fyreslayers at 2000 points in Age of Sigmar 2.0!
Games Workshop is continuing to move along updating outdated battletomes (from pre-War of Souls) and the latest one is everyone’s favorite mercenaries; the Fyreslayers.
GW seems to be releasing these new Battletomes at a rapid pace, putting this one in between the Blades of Khorne release (which you can see the three articles covering that here bloodthirsters, calvary, mortals) and the Hedonites of Slannesh that just came out. Before everyone jumps on the Slaanesh train, let’s dive a little bit into these ur gold loving, clothing hating, Duardin and see how we can build a 2000 point army around the start collecting sets.
Editor’s note looks like MORE Fyreslayer rules coming in HOT in June’s White Dwarf as well:
Special Rules:
Runes: They choose one rune to use per turn once per game that influences that turn and on a 6+ they have an enhanced effect.
Lodges: Each lodge adds special abilities to the entire army.
Fyreslayer only command traits, artifacts, prayers, etc.
Magmic Battleforge Scenery: Set up wholly in your territory at the start of the game, at start of friendly hero phase 1 Fyreslayer Priest within 6” can use it to add 1 to all priest prayer rolls if they are within 18”. Once per battle at the start of hero phase have 1 priest within 6” burn up the energies removing the prayer bonus and instead all Fryreslayers can re-roll save rolls of 1 until the start of your next hero phase.
Starting the army.
With any new army (especially new players) I still think they give you the best bang for your buck and are a great starting point. Picking up one of these will get you the following. (We are going to build an Auric Runefather on Magmadroth)
- Auric Runefather on Magmadroth: 280 Points (Leader 1 of 6) – General
- Auric Runesmiter on foot: 120 Points (Leader 2 of 6)
- Auric Runeson on foot: 100 Points (Leader 3 of 6)
- 10 Vulkite Berserkers: 160 Points (Battleline 1 of 3)
- Total: 660 Points
Auric Runefather on Magmadroth: Move (12” down to 6”), 4+ Save, 8 Bravery, 14 Wounds.
He has 3 missile weapons the first is Throwing Axes: Range 8”, 1 Attack, Hitting and Wounding on a 5+, for 1 Damage. Then Roaring Fyrestream: Range 12”, roll a damage table dice (D6 up to 3D6) if it equals to or less than the number of models in the unit it suffers D3 mortal wounds, or D6 mortal wounds if the unit is within 6”. Then he has 3 different melee attacks the first is Claws and Horns: Range 1”, Damage table (6 down to 2) Attacks, Hitting on a 4+, Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 2 Damage. Then Blazing Maw: Range 1”, 1 Attack, Hitting on a 4+, Wounding on a 2+, with -2 Rend, for D3 Damage.
Finally the Grandaxe: Range 3”, 3 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 3 Damage. At the end of the combat phase roll a dice for each enemy unit within 3” and if it is less than the number of models in that unit it suffers D3 mortal wounds. Every time this model takes a wound from a melee weapon on a 4+ the attacking unit suffers a mortal wound. In your hero phase, you can pick a unit within 3” and subtract D3 from the units bravery characteristic. At the end of a combat phase pick an enemy hero within 3” and roll a dice, on a 6 choose one melee weapon held by that model and subtract 1 from hit rolls made by it for the rest of the battle. Finally, he has a command ability: used at the start of hero phase, range friendly units wholly within 18”, makes them immune to battleshock.
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.
Auric Runeson: Move 4”, 4+ Save, 7 Bravery, 5 Wounds
He has 2 missile weapons (if you choose it) the first is Throwing Axes: Range 8”, 1 Attack, Hitting and Wounding on a 5+, for 1 Damage. The Second if you select Javelins over War Axe is Range 12”, 1 Attack, Hitting on a 4+, Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for D3 Damage. If you do select Javelin you use that as melee weapon: Range 3”, 1 Attack, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 1 Damage. Or you can select the War Axe instead of Javelin: Range 1”, 3 Attacks, Hitting on a 3+, Wounding on a 4+, for D3 Damage. If there are any friendly Auric Runesons within 6” you can re-roll hit rolls for this model. His Javelins add 2 to the Damage if the target is a Monster. Finally, his command ability is: Range 12”, friendly unit wholly within 12”, Add 1 to wound rolls.
Vulkite Berserkers: Move 4”, 5+ Save (4+ if they did not charge), 7 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 either have a hand axe or a warpick, with the Handaxe having: Range 1”, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, for 1 Damage. The Pickax: Range 1”, 2 Attacks, Hitting on a 3+, Wounding on a 4+, with -1 Rend, for 1 Damage. The leaders get a bonus 1 Attack and the Hornblower adds 1 to charge rolls. If they have shields and charge pick 1 enemy unit and roll a dice for every model in the unit carrying the shield every 6 deals a mortal wound. If you chose to not carry a shield they can re-roll hit rolls for handaxes. Finally, once per battle, at the start of the combat phase, you can have models from this unit gain the ability to pile in an attack as they are slain.
Coming in at over half your first 1000 points with a battleline and 3 leader characters this box is an insane value. However, building this army is going to get a little bit more expensive as we are going to add in some Hearthguard Berzerkers for a second battleline which and they run 40 bucks for 5 new. But they are worth it!
- 30 Hearthguard Berzerkers: 600 Points: Battleline 2 of 3
- Total 1260
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.
At this point, you are over halfway to your 2000-point destination yet need 1 more battleline and could use some more leader characters. Believe it or no,t another start collecting box pretty much gets you to where you want to be so your final army will look like this.
- Auric Runefather on Magmadroth: 280 Points (Leader 1 of 6) – General
- Auric Runesmiter on foot: 120 Points (Leader 2 of 6)
- Auric Runeson on foot: 100 Points (Leader 3 of 6)
- Auric Runefather on Magmadroth: 280 Points (Leader 4 of 6)
- Auric Runesmiter on foot: 120 Points (Leader 5 of 6)
- Auric Runeson on foot: 100 Points (Leader 6 of 6)
- 10 Vulkite Berserkers: 160 Points (Battleline 1 of 3)
- 30 Hearthguard Berzerkers: 600 Points: (Battleline 2 of 3)
- 10 Vulkite Berserkers: 160 Points (Battleline 3 of 3)
- Zharrgron Flame Spitter: 60 Points (Magmic Invocation)
- Total 1980 Points
Zharrgron Flame Spitter:
Priest summons on a 3+ and it is set up wholly within 6”. At the start of your shooting phase if there is a friendly Fyreslayer Prist within 6”, pick an enemy within 24” and roll 12 dice. Add 1 to the roll if the target has 10 or more models, add 2 if it has 20 or models, on a 6+ the unit suffers a mortal wound.
Loadouts:
For my Runsmiters, I am going to give them the Forge Keys over the Runic Irons as those attacks are not going to do much. For bonus prayers, I am going to give one the Ember Storm prayer and the other the Molten Infusion. Then for the Vulkite Bezerkers, I am going to arm them with Pick Axes and Shields. For my lodge, I am going to select the Hermdar Lodge, which means my general is getting Warrior Indominate and the Tyrant Slayer artifact. For my Hearthguard Berzerkers, I am going to give them the axes as I think that gives them more damage output than fishing for 6’s. Finally, I am going to give the generals mount the Coal-heart Ancient Magmadroth trait.
Tactics:
The name of this game is getting those Hearthguard Berserkers in the middle of combat ASAP. With a 2” reach weapon they are going to pile in with a lot of attacks. Then a 5+ regular save and a 4+ ward save (always keep a hero within 10” of the whole unit) and 2 wounds a pop they are not going anywhere. Luckily you have a Runesmiter that can set them up in reserve and lets you pop them up anywhere within 9”.
My other Runesmiter will be Summoning Zharrgron if needed every turn to protect objectives and do some mortal wounds. Place your Runesons next to each other and have them go Monster hunting with the Javelins, while the Mamadroths can protect flanks and dish out some serious damage as well. Just don’t let your Heathguard get bogged down as they are over a quarter of your force you need them to chew through your enemies.
There you have it! With two start collecting boxes and a ton of money on Bezerkers (to the tune of $240), you can have a cool army that should do well on the battlefield.
More AoS How-To For Noobs!
If you are currently publishing hobby content and would like a shot at getting featured on the site, or getting on our publishing schedule, we would like to hear from you! Please email Rob at spikeybits.com with examples of your work!
