Many moons ago I did something similar to what I'm about to do now with Malifaux factions.
I aim to embark on a slightly tougher task but one which may be able to help a few people along the way.
What I intend to do is have a look at sub-factions of battletomes and grand alliance books and just put my thoughts down onto paper. As of yet, I don't plan to look at the abilities and artefacts of each faction, I am just going to take the models as they are, standing alone.
Today is the Daemon side of the Disciples of Tzeentch (those with the Daemon keyword)
Warscrolls
Lord of Change
Kairos Fateweaver
Herald of Tzeench on Burning Chariot
Herald of Tzeentch on Disc
The Changling
Herald of Tzeentch
The Blue Scribes
Screamers of Tzeentch
Burning Chariots of Tzeentch
Exalted Flamers of Tzeentch
Flamers of Tzeentch
Pink Horrors of Tzeentch
Blue Horrors of Tzeentch
Brimstone Horros of Tzeentch
Tzaangor Shaman* (I will cover him in a later post when looking at Gors)
Gaunt Summoner of Tzeentch*
Fatemaster*
Tzaangor Skyfires*
Right then, where to start? How about... This guy?
The Lord of Change!
The flagship model of the Tzeentch range and one which is surely going to be around the top of the best seller list for this year.
14 wounds, 4+ save, bravery 10 and a wound-dependant move screams of a strong character waiting in the wings! He has a 2d6 ranged attack at 3+/3+/-/1 (Hit/Wound/Rend/Damage) and three attacks which dish out 2, 3 and 2 damage between them. I particularly like the Baleful Sword, although with only 2 attacks, at 4+/2+/-2/3, you have the potential to put some serious wounds on things! Now, you do have to make a choice as to whether you take the sword and be a combat killer or the ranged Rod of Sorcery!
Looking at him, he can dish out attacks in combat but I don't think I'd ever have him go toe to toe with a combat hero or unit. He seems the type of model which is very good at clearing the flanks and getting rid of those gribbly units with a fair amount of ease.
It goes without saying that he can fly. Did you also know that when you make a casting or unbinding role for him you can change the lowest dice result to match the highest? Hmm! It's called Mastery of Magic! Also, if he/she/it successfully unbinds a spell and rolls a 9+, he/she/it steals the spell for the game!
With a command ability allowing Daemon Tzeentch wizards within 18" to add 1 to casting and unbinding rolls, he truly is a fantastic leader for the army.
On top of the basic spells, Infernal Gateway (cast on a 7) allows you to pick a unit within 18", roll 9 dice and for every dice that matches or exceeds the table (which goes down the more wounds you take), that unit take a mortal wound!
I should also mention that he does have the 'Summon Lord of Change' ability too!
A strong model to start off this battletome! I can see more than one being on the table in a 2000 point game! They are a snip for their points cost!
Kairos Fateweaver
That guy! If he was at a tournament, he'd be 'that guy'. The same dial stats as the LoC but a very different range of attacks, these both have -1 rend and deal 2 damage each. Not quite the same beast as the LoC but he does serve a different purpose! Once more, another model that gets weaker the more you hit it and has the Mastery of Magic ability but swaps the stealing one out for the legendary: 'Change one dice, once per game to what you want'. Obviously restrictions apply!
Kiaros knows the 'Gift of Change' spell on top of the basic ones. Cast on an 8, this allows you to take a visible unit in 18" and they suffer a number of mortal wounds in the table on his profile - again, dependant on wounds taken. The upside to this? Any slain models automatically become Chaos Spawn, set up 3" away... Now where have all those goblins gone?
As I said previously, Kairos fulfils a different role on the battlefield. Many people take him for his 1 trick with the die, but he does offer other shenanigans! I like the idea of just picking off units of 1 wound gribblies and replacing them with spawn. There is a part of me that thinks that the spawn is slightly OP in this situation though. Coming in on full 5 wounds is just a nightmare - particularly if he kills 6 in one go! Something like Pink Horrors and make them individual units (smaller than 10) could be set up every time he uses the spell.
I'm yet to find out if you have to pay for the spawn that have been changed. I suspect at some point, you will! That could be a fun little list, just with Kiaros and spawn!
The Heralds (in various forms)
In the vested interest of time and reading, I'll do the basic overview and then go into specific details as and when needed. Essentially, it's the same Herald, just on different platforms!
He always has bravery 10, save of a 5+ and 5 wounds (there is 1 exception to the wounds though). Each herald has a staff of change with a -1 rend and d3 wounds on them and a ritual dagger, because...why not?! They don't exactly dish out a lot of attacks and combat really would be the last resort for these guys. As well as all this, you get the Arcane Tome, allowing you to use three dice to cast a spell (only once a game).
I should also mention that every herald, as most daemons in this book at the 'Summon ______ ' ability which allows wizards to summon that type. I won't mention it again in this section but it is something to note.
Now the changes:
On Burning Chariot
Add in some screamers with their 6 attacks, give him fly and then let the fun begin! A move of 14" and 8 wounds, you can kind of go a little bit nuts with him. The ability of the screamers to inflict d3 wounds when hitting monsters can be a bit of a tide turner, however there is no rend to this attack. The Wake of Fire ability allows you to move over units and pick one during the turn to try and inflict d3 mortal wounds to.
As for spells, on top of the 2 basics, he can do Tzeentch's Firestorm: Allowing it to roll a dice for each enemy model within 9" and on a 4+ do d3 mortal wounds!
On Disc
Swap out a screamer, put in teeth and horns. Slightly quicker at 16" but less wounds - back to 5! It gains the benefit of a shooting attack; Magical Flames 18", 2 attacks: 4+/4+/-/1 and has the magic of: Blue Fire of Tzeentch, which casts on a lowly 4 and lets you pick a unit with 18", roll 9 dice while your opponent rolls 1. For any scores which match your opponents, that unit suffers a mortal wound!
On Foot (because he's not like the rest and shuns fancy things)
Being on foot has its benefits, like having a move of 5" so you don't get killed... as quickly!
Like the Disc, it keeps Magical Flames and gains: Fortune of Fate (which I absolutely didn't read as Fame and Fortune!) which gives you the chance (if you roll above a 9 on a casting roll) to cast another spell this turn but it must be different from what you've already cast. Speaking of Magic, Pink Fire of Tzeentch has a casting value of 9 which allows it to pick a unit within 18" and do d6 mortal wounds! Woo!
Merits for all 3 to be used in a list. The Pink Fire of Tzeentch is a great spell but casting on a 9, it probably won't see a lot of play unless you can manipulate the dice roll in some way... ... ... ;). The ability of the chariot to move over and dish out Mortal Wounds is good but with no ranged attack, do you really want to be getting them into combat? Essentially they are there to buff units and chip away at others in the form of mortal wounds. I would be hard pressed to field more than 2 in a 2000 point game because of the LoC and Kiaros floating around. They can be good objective grabbers in scenarios like 3 places of power - particularly discs and chariots.
The Changling
A tricky customer to be sure. What do you need to know? Well, at the start of the battle, you can put the changling into the opponent's territory as part of his army. Enemy models treat it as friendly and they cannot target it by spells or abilities. How does it become a Changeling?! I hear you cry, well - if it attacks, casts or unbinds a spell OR moves within 3" of an enemy hero it is revealed! TA DA! Just like that!
While the Changling is 'in disguise', he can pick a unit within 9" and halve their movement until YOUR next hero phase - so pretty good for double turns!
Finally, when using the staff in combat, you can elect to 'opt out' of the staff (which has 1 attack at 4+/3+/-1/d3) and choose to attack with the profile of the chosen weapon! TA DA... AGAIN!
It can cast the basic spells but has the added addition of casting any spells of any wizard within 9" of it!
A costly model in terms of points but can be an absolute bugger in terms of changing the game. Being able to manipulate movement and use spells or weapons is just great. I would take one just for the fact that you have something within the enemy's lines first turn.
I didn't mention that he has bravery 10, 5 wounds, 5+ save and a move of 5".
The Blue Scribes
These gribbly gribbles are just great! I am of course talking about the model. The Blue Scribes have the ability to learn spells from other wizards around them on the roll of a 4 or more when it is being cast. They also have the unique ability to cast a spell they know (or have 'scrawled down' on paper) on a 2+! It can be unbound on the roll of a 9 or more! This is an excellent way to 'lock in' spells that you want cast each turn with a higher than average chance of them not being unbound!
On top of all this, their 'Boon of Tzeentch' spell on a 4+ allows Tzeentch wizards within 18" to reroll failed casting attempts!
With a zippy 16" of movement, they're unlikely to be held in combat unless you can get them without them seeing you (Warrior Brotherhood, I'm looking at you) but an experienced player should be able to combat that easily. 5 wounds, 5+ save and bravery 10 make them a 'standard' herald loadout and their attacks, admittedly with quills... yes, quills are nothing to write home about! Fair to say, they're not a combat unit!
Looking at them at face value, I'd say they'd near enough be an auto include in any list I wrote which involved Daemons and heavy spell casting. They will need to be carefully managed around the board in order to get the maximum potential from their abilities but if played right, they're as vital as the LoC could be in securing success.
Screamers of Tzeentch
A move of 16" makes this unit something for your opponent to worry about! Yes, like the rest of the sub-faction, they have a 5+ save and 3 wounds but Bravery 10 means they're not running anytime soon and, like the Burning Chariot, they can latch on to monsters and their bite attack does D3 damage instead of one. 3 attacks with their bite attack isn't bad either at 4+/3+/-. Again, like the chariot if the screamers move over units in the movement phase, pick one unit and roll a dice for each screamer that passed over it - on a 6 = mortal wound. Finally, if they are within 9" of any friendly Tzeentch Daemon Heroes, enemies targetting those models must treat 6s as 1s... well, that fecks my Spiders up!
Solid. Can be used as a defensive measure in order to get heroes into combat/away from combat or to be one of those tarpit units! Monster hunters?
Burning Chariots of Tzeentch
Much like the profile of the Herald on the Chariot from earlier, movement of 14", save 5+ and bravery 10 are identical but, as you'd expect, a lower wound count: 6. The Wake of Fire and Sky-Sharks ability are the same as before but Capricious Warpflame is an ability in the shooting phase which is triggered from the shooting attack which it pumps out. This ability can deal an extra d3 mortal wounds to any units which have already suffered damage from the Billowing Warpflame shooting attack. However, if you are that bad at rolling dice and roll at 1, you get to heal the chosen unit d3 wounds instead!
So, shooing attack? Billowing Warpflame pumps out 6 attacks at 4+/3+/-/d3! Nice! Like most in the army, no rend on attacks, however using all of its profile, each turn it kicks out 13 attacks - all with 1 damage!
Worth considering as a shooting choice but nothing you'd hang your hat on throughout the game as a powered attack. It will chip away at wounds though.
Exalted Flamers of Tzeentch
Do you remember a time when flamers were just ace in 40k and fantasy? Well, they're still pretty good now! Billowing Warpflame still continues now, along with Capricious Warpflame. Another quick moving unit of 9", 4 wounds each, bravery 10 and 5+ save.
Flamers of Tzeentch
Same as above but 2 wounds, oh an only 2 attacks in combat instead of 4! They do have the unique ability called Locus of Transmogrification which, when within 9" of a Tzeentch Daemon Hero, you can roll a dice and on a 6, add two flamers to the unit.
I really think these are value. An 18" range on the Warpflame is a decent deterrant to close parts of the board off and has the potential to really hurt units, particularly with the mortal wound ability afterwards. If there was a way of getting rend onto this shooting attack then you'd be laughing!
Pink Horrors of Tzeentch
Here we go, the flagship of the Tzeentch army! The one thing that people remember if you mention Tzeentch to them! 5" move, 1 wound, 5+ save and bravery 10, they're your bog standard infantry profile but they have the added advantage of being able to be summoned onto the board. Due to their lack of rapid movement like the rest of the army, it seems a strategy to keep them in reserve and pop them out when you're ready! An 18" 4+/4+/-/1 shooting attack seems okay but when you add plus one to hit if there are 20 or more models in the unit just lays down a ton of attacks! I should mention the Icon Bearer in this unit, that if you roll a 1 for battleshock,you add d6 horrors! Whoop! Their Locus of Conjuration ability allows +1 for casting if you are within 9" of a...you guessed it - Tzeentch Daemon Hero! Oh... you didn't know they were wizards?! Where have you been?!
Blue Horrors of Tzeentch
Where there are Pink Horrors, there are Blue Horrors! Like the old days, long ago, you kill a Pink Horror, two Blue appear! Exactly the same profile as the Pink Horrors, apart from a 6+ save and Magical Flames goes down to 14". Their melee attack gets worse too (5+/5+).
Brimstone Horrors of Tzeentch
Where there are Pink Horrors, there are Blue Horrors. Where there are Blue Horrors, there are Brimstone Horrors! Not like the good old days, we have a smaller version of all of them - just what you're crying out for I hear you cry! Or not... So, exactly the same as before in bravery, movement and wounds but no save! The Magical Flames stay but go down to 12" however has 2 attacks! Likewise, melee has 2 attacks at (5+/6+).
Horrors, Horrors everywhere! In your face and in your hair! What can you say - a HUGE tarpit, even at 10 models its great (presuming you can afford ALL of the horrors)! I've always loved Horrors and they are good for what they do. I'd be tempted to summon the Pink Horrors up in order to keep up with the rest of the force but still, decent!
Well, that's it from me for today.
I will be having a look at Arcanites when I do my next breakdown post.
Thanks for reading.
I'll see you soon!
@geekphotoguy
Note: If you go to buy some of these products on the GW website, they are currently not available to purchase! (Which is why I haven't got all the pictures included)
