Warhammer: The Old World is a brand-new game from Games Workshop set around 300 years before the previous game in the same setting (Warhammer Fantasy Battles) with many returning factions and models.
However, the core of the new narrative revolves entirely around the Old World, the central part of the known world where the Empire resides, and all surrounding areas. As such, only 9 factions are currently supported and not all of them had their first re-release.
The scope of this article is to provide a guide to the supported factions, who they are, a bit of lore, how they play and their current release status. It is our Warhammer Old World Factions Overview.
We list all upcoming Warhammer Old World releases and we also have an article with all of the 2024 Old World Releases.
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Warhammer Old World Factions List
Right now there are 9 official factions that we know will be updated and used in the game. Then we have 7 factions that have gotten a free PDF, that are not “legal” in official tournaments and that will likely not recieve any support in the future.
The official factions are right now split into two different books, the “good guys”, included in Forces of Fantasy and the “bad guys” included in Ravening Hordes. Each faction will also get an “Arcane Journal” of its own at some point, much like a codex or handbook for that specific army.
Warhammer Old World Official Factions:
- Empire of Man
- Kingdom of Bretonnia
- Dwarven Mountain Holds
- High Elf Realms
- Wood Elf Realms
- Orc and Goblin Tribes
- Warriors of Chaos
- Beastmen Brayherds
- Tomb Kings of Khemri
Warhammer Old World Factions in Legends:
- Skaven
- Dark Elves
- Vampire Counts
- Ogre Kingdoms
- Lizardmen
- Daemons of Chaos
- Chaos Dwarfs
Forces of Fantasy Factions
The Forces of Fantasy is the name of the expansion book that groups together all “good” factions.
These are:
- Empire of Man
- Kingdom of Bretonnia
- Dwarven Mountain Holds
- High Elf Realms
- Wood Elf Realms
Dwarven Mountain Holds Faction Overview
The Dwarfs were the third race to be created by the Old Ones. The first of them became their patron gods, but they have since disappeared with Grimnir taking the fight to Chaos in their own realm and Grungni and Valaya becoming one with the mountains their brethren inhabit.
Dwarfs have an extremely long memory and any perceived injustice against them will be recorded in the Book of Grudges and not removed until it has been appropriately paid. That for the many Orc and Goblin bosses means death and expatriation from the Karazs (dwarven fortified cities) they occupied.
During the first invasion of Chaos that followed the Great Catastrophe, the dwarves hid deep within the mountains and that’s where they lost contact with their kin in the north and far in the east. Until Grimnir led them in the fight against Chaos land and, once the Winds of Magic subsided, they re-populated other areas of the Known World.
But the treachery of the elf Malerion will forever shape their destiny as he orchestrated a dispute between High Elves and Dwarfs that led to the War of the Beard, or how it is called by the Dwarfs, the War of Vengeance that lasted for centuries causing heavy casualties on both sides.
It will be the dwarven king Kurgan Ironbeard, whose life was saved by a young human chief leader by the name of Sigmar, that will forge a powerful alliance that will not only benefit the humans advancing them technologically but also the dwarves that greatly expanded their trading routes and finally defeated the Orc and Goblin tribes at the battle of Black Fire Pass.
The dwarven armies do not rely on magic and aside from few exceptions, don’t have access to magic but instead they are more resistant to magic. Their warriors are tough but have low movement and rely on a vast arsenal of war machines to destroy the opponent before the melee starts.
Some abilities shared across most units are the famous Gromril Armour that allows to re-roll natural 1s to save, Resolute that gives a -1 buff to Flee and Pursuit rolls, and Shieldwall that allows once per game to Give Ground instead of Fall Back in Good Order.
Their Grand Army composition list allows a King, Anvil of Doom or Runelord every 1000 points and any number of Thanes, Runesmiths, Daemon Slayers, Dragon Slayers and Engineers as characters.
The core includes all staples of dwarven armies like Warriors, Quarellers and Thunderers, with up to 1 unit of Rangers, while up to 1 unit of Longbeards can be taken as core if the general is a King.
The special units include most of the remaining roster with Longbeards, Ironbreakers, Miners, Slayers, Gyrocopters, up to 1 unit of Hammerers for each King or Thane, and up to 3 war machines between Bolt Thrower, Grudge Thrower and Cannon for 1000 points.
Rangers, Ironbreakers, Gyrobombers and up to 2 Organ Guns or Flame Cannons per 1000 points are instead the choice for rare units.
Dwarven Mountain Holds Arcane Journal introduces new runes and runic tattoos, new profiles including Thorgrim Ulleksson, Ungrim Ironfist and Burlok Damminson and two new Army of Infamy composition lists focussing on different aspects of dwarven life: one more traditional and one more technical.
The Royal Clan army of infamy gain Hatred on a specific enemy character chosen after deployment, a +1 to Strength when they charge or follow-up and can spend more points on runes. This comes at the cost that all Runesmiths, Engineers and Slayers are not allowed. Same is valid for all units using gunpowder, as the only war machines permitted are the Bolt Thrower and Grudge Thrower. The Warriors are replaced by the Royal Clan Warriors, a core option. However, as mercenaries, they can bring Imperial Dwarves, Doomseekers and Goblin Hewers, all new profiles together with the Dwarf’s Cart that is a special option.
The Expeditionary Force army of infamy provides bonuses that allow Thunderers, Engineers and the various cannons to move and shoot without malus while allows the Miners to appear from reserve directly on the battlefield rather than just from the edge. In exchange, this army of infamy has to give up Kings, Runelords and Anvils of Doom, while an Engineer or an Engineer Sapper are mandatory. Engineers can also become battle standard bearers. Scout Gyrocopters are introduced as a new profile, but tougher infantry like Longbeards, Ironbreakers and Irondrakes are nowhere to be seen. As mercenaries, it has the same options as the Royal Clan.
With their full release, the entire Dwarven roster is now available, although for some profiles you will still need some kit-bashing, especially for some profiles added in the Arcane Journal.
Empire of Man Faction Overview
The Imperial Calendar is the most famous of the Warhammer world calendars (although not the only one). It starts the year Sigmar was crowned the first emperor of men. While the Nehekhara were the first humans to unite and form a cohesive force, by the time Sigmar was born in -30 IC they were long dead (and resurrected as undead).
Many are the deeds Sigmar accomplished in his quest to unite all human tribes in the Old World, including saving the life of the dwarven king Kurgan Ironbeard, forging an alliance that brought many advantages to both races including defeating a giant Orc and Goblin Waaagh at the battle of Black Fire Pass. He also defeated Nagash banishing him for another 1666 years.
Before vanishing east and becoming a god venerated across the entire empire, he established a system by which each tribal chief becomes an Elector Count in order to vote the next emperor. The system was heavily challenged but survived for over a millennia. When different men claimed the throne at the same time, the Age of the Three Emperors was born, almost collapsing the internal structure of the realm and bringing the entire land to the brink of destruction, especially when the Counts of Sylvania, in reality vampires in disguise, claimed the throne and started the Vampire Wars.
With the vampires finally buried, the Empire did not find the long-sought peace and currently there’s still plenty of pretenders. From the Empress Elspeth Magritta VI of Westerland, to the Count Sigismund Ulric of Osterlund, from Prince Wilhelm I of Reikland to the Duke Ludwig XII of Talablecland, the Empire has never been so divided like now.
Empire armies have a little bit of everything, from powerful military leaders on top of majestic beasts, to priests and wizards, from basic infantry to elite wielding great swords, with plenty of cavalry, both heavy and light armed with pistols, without forgetting a good range of war machines.
For this reason there’s not a single ability that pops out, neither they have their own section of Special Rules, but rather they have access to a great variety of specialised units.
The Grand Army composition List of the Empire includes a plethora of characters starting from the top military leaders, the General and the Grand Master limited to 1 of them every 1000 points, as they are the top priests, the Lector of Sigmar or the High Priest of Ulric. The rest of the list includes the weaker version of the leaders above, plus the Wizards, Witch Hunters and Engineers. One Lector of Sigmar can take the War Altar as a mount, while other popular mounts are the warhorse, Pegasus, Demigryph and Griffon.
The core is formed by State Troops, State Missile Troops, Free Company Militia, Archers and Empire Knights, while up to one Veteran State Troop can be taken as core each 1000 points.
The special list plays on mobility and firing range with Greatswords, Pistoliers, Outriders, Demigryph Knights, up to 1 unit of Inner Circle Knight every 1000 points and up to 3 in any combination of Great Cannon and Mortar every 1000 points.
Finally the rare units include Flagellants, up to 1 Helblaster Volley Gun or Helstorm Rocket Battery and 1 Steam Tank every 1000 points.
Empire does not have yet an Arcane Journal and only very few units can be found in the Age of Sigmar section under Cities of Sigmar. They are, however, next in line to receive a full release.
High Elf Realms Faction Overview
Of the races created by the Old Ones, the Elves were the one more attuned with magic but equally skilled with any martial weapon. They prospered in their island-nation of Ulthuan, west of the Middle Sea and the Empire, until the coming of Chaos.
The greatest elven wizard ever to be born until now, Caledor Dragontamer mounted a great war against the forces of chaos aided but Aenarion, the first elven king to step in the sacred flame of Asuryan to become the Phoenix King.
The war exacted many sacrifices and losses to the elves until Aenarion’s wife was killed by daemons. Enraged by this act, Aenarion sought the cursed Altar of Khaine where he found and wielded the Widowmaker, a powerful but equally damned weapon. But that alone was not enough to fight the forces of Chaos so Caledor envisioned a powerful ritual that would syphon out all excess magic from the world creating a giant vortex on top of the geomantic lines that the Old Ones envisioned millennia earlier.
In a great battle with Aenarion protecting Caledor and his court of wizards, the daemons were finally defeated but none of the wizards survived, in their place a magical vortex. Aenarion himself, mortally wounded, disappeared while returning Widowmaker to its rightful place.
Lots of damage was done, but the worst had yet to come. Aenarion in the meanwhile had a second wife, Morathi, from who he had a son, Malerion. The latter believed to be the rightful heir to the throne and when he was not chosen, he conspired and when his coup failed and he was burnt horribly by the sacred flames of Asuryan, he retreated to Naggaroth bringing his followers with him and starting the great schism between High Elves and Dark Elves.
Malerion orchestrated also the War of the Beard between High Elves and Dwarves in the tentative to weaken the elves enough to mount a successful invasion. Despite all these threats and being forced to retire from their colonies in the Old World, the High Elves are still one of the world powers and at the forefront of the fight against Chaos.
They fight with a mixture of highly trained infantry and cavalry with some exotic options like chariots trained by lions and characters mounting dragons or phoenixes. They are characterised by Elven Reflexes (+1 to Initiative on the first round of combat) and the ability to support from the flank or rears (Martial Prowess) and to re-roll Panic tests caused by heavy casualties taken or friendly units fleeing through (Valour of Ages). Different characters are able to take Elven Honours, that provide few buffs.
The High Elf Realms Grand Army composition list allows up to 1 Prince or Archmage and up to 1 Dragon Mage or Handmaiden of the Everqueen per 1000 points and any number of Nobles and Mages as characters. There are many mount options available including steeds, chariots and griffons, but also Dragons, Phoenixes and Great Eagles.
At the core we can find Spearmen, Archers, Lothern Sea Guard, Ellyrian Reavers and Silver Helms, while 1 unit of Sisters of Avelorn can be taken as core if the general is a Handmaiden.
There are many special units to consider like the White Lions of Chrace, Swordmasters of Hoeth, Phoenix Guard, Shadow Warriors, Tiranoc Chariots and up to 1 unit of Dragon Princes per 1000 points. If the general has the Chracian Hunter Elven Honour, 1 unit of Lion Chariots can be taken per 1000 points, while if it has the Sea Guard one, 1 unit of Lothern Skycutter becomes special.
The rare section includes Sisters of Avelorn, Lion Chariots, Lothern Skycutters, and every 1000 points up to 1 unmounted Flamespyre or Frostheart Phoenix, up to 2 Great Eagles and up to 2 Eagle Claw Bolt Throwers.
As a note, if you are new to Warhammer Fantasy and the Citadel paint range you can recognise many names of grey and blue colours from the Elven roster.
High Elves do not have yet an Arcane Journal, and their entire roster has not been released yet, although they are expected soon after the Empire of Man.
Kingdom of Bretonnia Faction Overview
The Kingdom of Bretonnia lies west of the Empire, behind the Grey Mountains and cornered between the Middle Sea and the kingdoms of Estalia. It was formed in the year 977 of the Imperial Calendar (around 1300 years) by Gilles le Breton that reunited all Bretonni tribes.
GIlles was the first to be blessed by the Lady of the Lake with unnatural strength and longevity and so she became the patron goddess of Bretonnia. Since then, it is the ultimate quest for the knights of the realm to seek her and obtain her favours, drinking from the Holy Graal and obtain the force to vanquish their enemies.
Honour and chivalry are the key tenets of Bretonnian code, so much that gunpowder and other technological advancements are not welcome in their realm. The country still follows strictly the feudal system with the nobles able to afford expensive and elegantly adorned armours and horses, while the vast majority of the population is composed of peasants that are often enrolled in their sires’ campaign to form the ranks of bowmen and men-at-arms.
Bretonnian knights can take a vow that provides various benefits, and the entire army can concede the first turn to the opponent in exchange of the blessing of the Lady that unlocks a 6+ ward. Another particularity of Bretonnian mounted knights is the Lance Formation that allows to fight in a formation shaped like the point of a lance, with the outside knights considered the fighting rank and the middle ones the supporting rank.
At the top of a Bretonnian army we can find a Duke (up to 1 allowed) or Barons or Prophetesses (up to 1 every 1000 points), while the other characters are Paladins, Damsels and Sergeant-at-Arms. Between the mount options surely stand out the Pegasus, Hippogryph and Unicorns.
At their core they need to have at least 1 unit of Knights of the Realm, mounted or on foot, and at least one unit of Men-at-Arms or Peasant Bowmen. In addition they can have up to 1 unit of Knights Errant per unit of Knights of the Realm.
The list of special units include Squires, Questing Knights, Pegasus Knights, Mounted Yeomen and up to 2 units of Battle Pilgrims for 1000 points. While the Grail Knights and up to 1 Field Trebuchet make up the rare section.
Kingdoms of Bretonnia Arcane Journal introduces new magic items, new profiles including The Green Knight, Sir Cecil Gastonne and Lady Duchaard and two new Army of Infamy composition lists focussing on the Bretonnian misadventures in far-away lands.
The Bretonnian Exiles army of infamy forbids to take the Grail’s Vow, but they can take the Exile’s Vow instead. No Dukes or Prophetesses are allowed, and only up to 1 Baron per 1000 points and up to 1 Damsel. In exchange, they introduce the new unit Yeomen Guard in the core choices, and Border Princes Brigands and Bombard (up to 1 for 1000 points) in the rare section giving Bretonnia access to gunpowder! In addition Empire Free Company Militia and Archers can be taken as mercenaries.
The Errantry Crusade army of infamy requires at least a Paladin, but otherwise has the same character requirements as the standard one. The rest of the list focusses on Knights at the core with great attention to Cavalry, since the Empire Knights and Inner Circle Knights are allowed as mercenaries while options like Men-at-arms and Peasant Bowmen become special and Mounted Yeomen rare.
Bretonnian miniatures were all released, although many options will require some kitbashing and some kits would benefit from the Empire of Man release.
Wood Elf Realms Faction Overview
When the High Elves abandoned the colonies of the Old World, not all elves decided to obey the order. Some remained, and found refuge in the oldest forests. In particular in Athel Loren, a forest south of the Bretonnian kingdoms, where magic is strong and trees walk the land and speak like other mortal races, the elves created a bond with nature that would allow them to become the Wood Elves.
The spirits of the forest allied with the newcomers only because of the multiple threats that they would need to face together, including Beastmen desecrators but also humans and dwarves cutting down wood to power their infrastructure or create grazing land.
At the heart of Athel Loren stands the Oak of Ages, a ginormous tree on whose branches an entire city is built inhabited by sprites and elves alike. Two elves in particular are the most important in the Wood Elves culture: Ariel, the goddess that enabled her people to travel through secret ways from a forest to another, and Orion, her husband and greatest general. Orion lives following a seasonal cycle, so he dies every winter, to be reborn every spring in a new body and so on for eternity.
The Wood Elves are comprised of many nimble units that benefit of Elven Reflexes (+1 to Initiative on the first round of combat) and the ability to Move Through Cover (ignore any terrain modifier) with some unusual cavalry units like stags and warhawks and a component made of the tree spirits that are high Flammable but in exchange they are Immune to Psychology and perform Magical Attacks.
A Wood Elf Realms Grand Army composition list can have up to 1 Glade Lord or Spellweaver and up to 1 Treeman Ancient per 1000 points, but otherwise no restrictions for the other characters like Glade Captains, Spellsingers, Shadowdancers, Waystalkers and Branchwraiths. Between the mounts available we can find the Warhawk, Forest Dragon, Great Eagle and Unicorn.
At the core at least one unit of Glade Guard must be present, plus any Eternal Guards, Dryads and Glade Riders and up to 1 unit of Deepwood Scouts per 1000 points.
The special list includes Deepwood Scouts, Wildwood Rangers, Wardancers, Sisters of the Thorn, Wild Riders, Warhawk Riders and up to 2 units of Tree Kin per 1000 points.
Finally Treemen, up to 1 unit of Waywatchers per Waystalker taken, and up to 3 Great Eagles per 1000 points complete the rare section.
Wood Elves do not have yet an Arcane Journal and, except a couple of units available within the Age of Sigmar Sylvaneth roster, no miniatures have been released yet.
Ravening Hordes
The Ravening Hordes book collects the current “evil” factions. These are:
- Orc and Goblin Tribes
- Warriors of Chaos
- Beastmen Brayherds
- Tomb Kings of Khemri
Beastmen Brayherds Faction Overview
The Beastmen are mutated men that were corrupted when the Polar Gates collapsed. They now roam in the forests and wastelands and are particularly active in the Drakwald Forest in the middle of the Empire.
They do not build cities as civilization is an anathema for them, but rather travel in Warherds in search of easy prey. From time to time a champion emerges between them and calls all Warherds to bigger feats. He then raises a giant pyre and once enough Warherds are gathered, and should he survive the challenge from all other chieftains, he is crowned a Beastlord, ready to lead the Brayherd to crush the mortal races.
The Ungors represent the weakest of their kind, with Gors and Bestigors being stronger but less numerous. But a Brayherd can also be joined by other monstrous creatures like Minotaurs, Centigors and Dragon Ogres or even bigger monstrosities like Cygors and Ghorgons.
In game they have a great variety of Open Order and Skirmisher core units that allow them to ignore most terrain and flank more easily enemy units. But, when in formation, most of them can get a greater rank bonus (Horde) that can also be used as a Leadership bonus (Warband). In addition, they can call for the gods to provide them a buff each turn but the risk something goes awry is always behind the corner.
Their main trait, however, is Primal Fury that can give them the ability to re-roll natural 1s To Hit if they pass a Leadership test at the beginning of combat and in some cases can even make them Frenzied adding 1 more attack per model.
Their Grand Army composition list allows only 1 major leader every 1000 point and any number of their minor. Their characters are the Chieftains of which the Beastlord is the major option and ideal military leader, the Shamans with the Great-Bray Shaman able to become a level 4 wizard, the Minotaur champions like the Doombull and the lesser Gorebull and the Centigor Chieftain that can lead a light cavalry while intoxicated by alcohol. Popular mounts for Chieftains and Shamans are the Tuskgor and the Razorgor Chariots.
At least one unit of Gors is mandatory in any list, the other core units include Ungors, Chaos Warhounds, Razorgors and Tuskgor Chariots. Should the general be a Chieftain or a Minotaur champion, then respectively a unit of Bestigor or Minotaurs can become core.
The special units comprise Bestigors, Harpies, Minotaurs, Centigors, Dragon Ogres, Razorgor Chariots and the Cockatrice. In addition the Chaos Ogres (from the Warriors of Chaos roster) can be added as special unit and 1 Jabberslythe or Cygor if the general is a shaman or 1 Ghorgon if is a Minotaur champion.
The rare slot is reserved to the big beasts: Dragon Ogre Shaggoth, Jabberslythe, Cygor, Ghorgon and Chaos Giants, plus Chaos Trolls and Chaos Spawn, also from the Warriors of Chaos roster.
Beastmen do not have yet an Arcane Journal, and, while almost all their miniatures were available as part of the Age of Sigmar Beasts of Chaos army, they have since been removed waiting for the repackaging. Some units, like the Dragon Ogors, have been released with the Warriors of Chaos.
Orc and Goblin Tribes Faction Overview
Orcs and Goblins are not original from this world but rather stowaways that hid in the spaceships used by the Old Ones. They hid for centuries in the most remote places until the departure of the Old Ones and the arrival of Chaos created an ideal environment for them to prosper.
Orcs are bigger and more brutal, while the Goblin compensate their smaller figure and cowardice with greater malice and attacking in hordes. Normally they live in separate tribes, inhabiting the darkest caves, more isolated wastelands or deepest jungles, but a boss bigger than the others is able to group them in giant invasion parties called Waaagh!
These are migratory invasions led by a Warboss which generate incredible fervour within the participants stoked by the shamans. The more this horde wins, the more Orcs and Goblins are going to join them because they can’t resist a good scrap (but also staying on the winning side!). The only way to stop a Waaagh! is to kill their leader, so that the energies accumulated dissipate and the mobs will hastily retire from where they came from.
In battle they are joined by all sort of dank creatures, including Giants and Trolls, while the Goblins managed to tame some creatures to do their bidding so that Forest Goblin march riding spiders of all sizes including the gigantic Arachnarok Spider, while the Night Goblin can be seen mounting Cave Squigs, weird spherical creatures with giant fangs.
In game they have a huge roster, with a bit of everything, plus you are not forced to mix them, you could have just Orcs or just Goblins, greatly changing your strategy and playstyle. One thing they have in common is their attraction towards the fight, with a chance they can’t refuse to charge an enemy (Impetuous). Most Orcs get an extra attack when they charge (Furious Charge) and do not perform panic tests when goblin units are affected, while the Goblins are afraid of elves that generate Fear to them but hate the Dwarves so much that they can re-roll failed To Hit rolls in the first round of combat.
Orc and Goblin Tribes Grand Army composition list is quite liberal, with few exceptions. To start with, for every Black Orc boss there must be a Black Orc unit (one can be taken as core if the general is a Black Orc boss) and there can only be one Orc top boss (Warboss or Weirdnob) for each 1000 points.
The character list includes both martial leaders like the Black Orc, Orc, Goblin and Night Goblin bosses and powerful wizards like the Orc, Goblin and Night Goblin shamans. Popular mount options for the Orcs are War Boars and Wyverns, while the Goblin can choose between Giant Wolves, Gigantic Spiders, Wolf Chariots, Giant Cave Squig and the Arachnarok Spider.
The core can include Orcs, Goblins, Snotlings, Goblin Spider Riders and Goblin Wolf Riders. In addition, for each Night Goblin leader, a Night Goblin Mob and a Night Goblin Squig Herd becomes core.
The special options are: Black Orcs, Trolls, Orc Boar Boys, Orc Boar Chariots, Goblin Wolf Chariots and the Snotling Pump Wagon. In addition, a Night Goblin Squig Hopper unit can be included for each Night Goblin character present and up to 2 Goblin Bolt Thrower every 1000 points.
The rare options allow the unmounted Arachnarok Spider, Giants and up to 1 Goblin Rock Lobber and Doom Diver Catapult per 1000 points. While one Mangler Squig is allowed for each Night Goblin leader taken.
The Orc & Goblin Tribes Arcane Journal introduces new magic items, the new Lore of Troll Magic, new profiles like Kiknik Toofsnatcha and Ogdruz Swampdigga, and two new armies of infamy focussing on mobile cavalry or trolls.
The Nomadic Waaaagh! army of infamy focusses on mounted characters and units, with wolves being able to obtain the Ambusher trait, and War Boars the Impact (1). This means that while the list of characters usable is similar to the standard army, anything on foot is not allowed, including all Night Goblins, Trolls and war machines (except the Snotling Pump Wagon). At the same time, the Black Orc Boar Chariot is introduced, both as a new unit and as a mount for Black Orc bosses.
The Troll Horde army of infamy does not use Night Goblins or Black Orcs, but introduces a new character, the Troll Hag that can be used also in a Grand Army as a rare option. The special rules of this army allow Shamans and Troll Hags to spread their Leadership to nearby Troll Mobs and use the Lore of Troll Magic while failed regeneration rolls can be re-rolled. The focus of army composition is on Troll Mobs now available as core, together with Orc, Goblin, Goblin Spider and Goblin Wolf rider mobs.
Both army of infamies can also use the new profiles Badland Ogre Bulls and Bonegrinder Giants as mercenaries.
Orc and Goblin Tribes received a full release, however there are few goblins and trolls that have a newer kit as part of the Age of Sigmar Gloomspite Gitz army, depending on your own taste and budget.
Tomb Kings of Khemri Faction Overview
The Tomb Kings of Khemri were once a prosperous civilization, the very first human empire. It was Settra, Priest-King of Khemri, that around the year 2500 before the Imperial Calendar (roughly 4700 years before the current time) reunited all necropolis-cities of Nehekhara under his rule.
He was obsessed with the desire for immortality and gave vast powers to the priestly Mortuary Cult that for years studied the secrets to extend the life of the monarchs and when they eventually passed away, how to embalm them as mummies ready to be one day resurrected.
In the end was one of them, Nagash, to achieve this although his plans were to enslave all resurrected kings and the military cohorts buried with them. But the Grand Ritual that he prepared was cut down short by the betrayal of his allies, the Skaven, that freed the last inhabitant of Nehekhara still alive, Alcadizaar, and armed him with a weapon able to kill (or at least temporarily banish) Nagash before he was able to complete his ritual.
So strong was the magic unleashed, that the undead remained animated, with the Tomb Kings returning alive not in their bodies of flesh as promised but as a parody of life. Once again, it was Settra, risen again, to campaign to subjugate all kings to his will and protect his land from the invasion of the other races.
The Tomb Kings were a powerful military force in life, and the maintain their rigorous martial order even in undeath. This in game is represented by the ability to ignore a good set of rules that makes this army ideal for beginners.
To start with, as undead, they are immune to all psychology tests and they never break from combat. Instead, they lose as many models as the difference in points from which they lost. In exchange, they are able to regenerate and even to replenish depleted units through their powerful wizards.
They cannot march, but their archers ignore any modifier, positive or negative, while their basic archers can even shoot from the second rank. Most Tomb King characters, however, are particularly sensible to flammable attacks, so it’s important to protect them with magical artefacts and a Battle Standard.
Their Grand Army composition list requires at least 1 Tomb King or Prince (the military leaders) and at least 1 High Priest or Mortuary Priest (the wizards) of which one must be the Hierophant. Once the Hierophant dies the entire army will start to crumble to pieces. However, it is not possible to have more than 1 Tomb King or High Priest for each 1000 points. The other characters are the Royal Herald and the Necrotect. The list of mounts available is pretty long and includes Skeletal Steeds, Chariots, the Warsphinx and of course the newest model in the range: the Necrolith Bone Dragon.
At least one unit of Skeleton Warriors and/or Skeleton Archers is required as part of the core units fielded, the rest being Skeleton Skirmishers, Tomb Swarms, Skeleton Horsemen, Skeleton Horse Archers and Skeleton Chariots. In addition, up to 1 unit of Tomb Guard or Sepulchral Stalkers can be taken as core.
The special units include Tomb Guards, Ushabti, Sepulchral Stalkers, Carrion and Necropolis Knight with the ability to take 1 Tomb Scorpion and 2 Khemrian Warsphinx (unmounted) every 1000 points.
The rare options are a bit more exotic, with the Necrolith Colossus, the Necrosphinx, up to 2 Screaming Skull Catapult and up to 1 Casket of Souls every 1000 points.
Tomb Kings Arcane Journal introduces new magic items, new profiles including Settra, Prince Apophas and Nekaph and two new Army of Infamy composition lists.
The Nehekharan Royal Host focuses on the martial side with only a monarch being mandatory as a character and no High Priest or Necrotect allowed at all. In exchange it introduces Tomb Guard Chariots, Skeleton Infantry Cohorts (ranks of warriors followed by ranks of archers), and Skeleton Cavalry Cohorts (same as infantry but mounted on horses), all as core options.
The Mortuary Cult instead is the exact opposite, mandating the Liche Priests but forbidding any Tomb King in the roster. The Arch-Necrotect is introduced as a new character, while the Venerable Ushabti (stronger versions of the Ushabti) and the Necroserpents (unmounted version of the Knights) are special units available in this roster.
The Tomb Kings were the first to be re-released, although some options will require kit-bashing and some are almost always out of stock, so if you find them available, snatch them very fast.
Warriors of Chaos Faction Overview
In the northern wastes, close to where the Chaos Magic is at its strongest, life is extremely harsh. The men inhabiting this land are easy target for the Dark Gods, promising them a different life, power and control. The gods do need these weaker minds because that’s the only way they can manifest in this world.
Should a man (or woman) prove himself worthy of their attention, they will be generously compensated becoming a Champion of Chaos. But this is only the first step towards the Path to Glory that each chaos follower has to follow. Eventually, one in thousands, may emerge to lead the vast legions becoming a Chaos Lord.
Their ultimate goal, however, is to reach the threshold of the Realm of Chaos and should they be able to prove strong enough and their body able to withstand all cursed mutations, then they will emerge as Daemon Princes. However, the path to daemonhood is covered by the corpses of those who tried. The unluckiest become Chaos Spawn, deformed entities of impossible shapes that lost all sanity.
The four Chaos Gods are Khorne, the Lord of Skulls for which blood and skulls are the only accepted gifts; Nurgle, the Lord of Decay who is extremely generous in his boons in form of diseases and pestilences; Slaanesh, the Dark Prince who revels in any excess; and Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways and patron of all magic casters.
In game, while they have available cheap infantry and cavalry, this is mostly an elite army with heavy armour and armour piecing weapons. Their particularity, however, is to be able to dedicate themselves to a Chaos God, replacing their Mark of Chaos Undivided (that allows to re-roll Fear, Panic or Terror tests) with another mark. Khorne gives more attacks (Frenzy), Nurgle forces the opponent to re-roll natural 6s To Hit, Slaanesh gives +1 Initiative on the first round of combat and ignores Panic tests, while Tzeentch provides Flaming attacks and a penalty to enemy wizards targeting a Tzeentch unit with a spell plus a casting bonus to wizards joining a Tzeentch unit.
The Warriors of Chaos Grand Army Composition List contains various options but there can only be a Chaos Lord or a Daemon Prince in a single list, and up to 1 Exalted Champion or Sorcerer Lord per 1000 points. The character list completes with the remaining Aspiring Champion and Exalted Sorcerer. The choice of mounts is quite exhaustive with options like a Chaos Steed, a Daemonic Mount, a Chaos Chariot, a Gorebeast Chariot, a Manticore or even a Chaos Dragon.
The core units are instead much simpler: Chaos Warriors, Marauders, Knights, Marauder Horsemen, Warhounds and Forsaken.
In the special section we can choose between Chaos Ogres, Trolls, Spawns, Chariots or a Chimera, while only up to 1 unit of Chosen Chaos Warriors or Knights can be entered in a list. The Dragon Ogres from the Beastmen roster are also available.
The rare section gives access to Gorebeast Chariots, 1 Hellcannon or Chaos Giant every 1000 points, and 1 Dragon Ogre Shaggoth every Dragon Ogre unit (the latter two are from the Beastmen roster).
The Warrior of Chaos Arcane Journal introduces new artefacts, new profiles like Frydaal the Chainmaker and Galrauch the Great Drak and two new armies of infamy, the first allowing to recreate a Norscan army, and the second focussing on mounted warriors.
The Wolves of the Sea army of infamy unlocks the Gaze of the Gods to all units obtaining a standard as a battle trophy and characters killing enemies in a challenge, and the Ambusher trait for Marauders and Marauder Horsemen. Another peculiarity of this army is the fact that the player can challenge the opponent to a duel between two of their champions with the winner giving the first turn to that player. The list composition adds the new Marauder Tribe Chieftain as a character (with all others still being viable), the various marauders and Chaos Warhounds as core (with the Marauder Tribe Berzerkers as a new profile), new options like the Marauder Tribe Huscarls and Skin Wolves as special, and the Gigantic Chaos Spawn as rare. Gor and Ungor herds (from the Beastmen) are available mercenaries.
The Heralds of Darkness army of infamy allows only mounted characters or with the special rule Fly but enables chariots and cavalry to re-roll any natural 1 when charging. Any Mark of Chaos other than Undivided requires a non-character unit with the same mark as a character, so that a Khorne character would have to be followed by a Khorne unit. The composition list includes only mounted options but introduces the Chosen Chaos Chariot as a special unit or a mount and the Warpfire Dragon and Gigantic Spawn of Chaos that are also available in a Grand Army. As mercenaries they can pick Centigor Chieftains and Herds from the Beastmen roster.
Warriors of Chaos have their roster being released these days, although the Age of Sigmar Slaves to Darkness army already had many kits refreshed recently, in particular in the core options, so you can choose the material and format preferred.
Legacy and Legends armies for Warhammer Old World
The following 7 factions are officially not supported, however they did receive a free PDF with all rules to play them. The rules are available from the downloads section of Warhammer Community.
- Skaven
- Dark Elves
- Vampire Counts
- Ogre Kingdoms
- Lizardmen
- Daemons of Chaos
- Chaos Dwarfs
The Chaos Dwarfs or Dawi-Zharr is the most difficult army to find as it was available only from ForgeWorld and while initially included in Age of Sigmar, it eventually got discontinued and now no model is officially sold by Games Workshop. They are Dwarves corrupted by dark forces that rejected their old gods and decided to follow Hashut, the Father of Darkness, that allows them to learn sorcerous arts. As such their roster includes Sorcerers able to cast magic spells and wear any type of armour without penalties. They have also heavy infantry, monstrous Bull Centaurs as cavalry, enslaved Hobgoblins as cannon fodder and monstrous war engines to blast their opponents.
The Daemons of Chaos are able to spew from the Realm of Chaos when the right opportunity arises and Chaos is resurgent in the world. They represent the biggest threat to the mortal races. In game, they are one of the easiest army to collect since almost every model is available as part of the Age of Sigmar range, spread across the 4 gods-specific armies. Their composition list forces to choose a Greater Daemon and then most other options will follow that choice, however it is not enforced the allegiance to a single Chaos God, and the basic troops can be mixed however one prefers. The Chaos Gods are Khorne, Nurgle, Slaanesh and Tzeentch, each with their own daemonic followers and set of rules.
The Dark Elves are those that split from the High Elves to follow Malerion in exile in Naggaroth from where they plot the demise of their cousins and the rise to power of their Dread King. To find miniatures for this range you need to scour the Cities of Sigmar and Daughters of Khaine collection on the Age of Sigmar side, but not everything is available. The roster is comprised of both powerful sorceress and dark lords leading an army of well trained infantry and cavalry, with a bit of skirmish and ambushing tactics from some units but most united by their Hatred of High Elves (able to re-roll failed To Hit rolls) and the Elven Reflexes (+1 Initiative on first round of combat).
The Lizardmen are the oldest race created by the Old Ones. The Slann are powerful toad-like wizards who helped creating the geomantic web that allows the Winds of Magic to flow, and made the Skinks and Saurus to serve them in their duty. The Saurus represent the military caste and the Skinks the priestly one. This is another army present in Age of Sigmar, with some recently updated sculpts but also few gaps in the roster. In game they are led by a Slann Mage-Priest with the Saurus armed with armour piercing weapons and able to roll an extra D6 when making Fear, Panic or Terror tests and discard the highest (Cold Blooded), while most nimble Skinks have access to Poisonous Attacks (auto-wounds on a natural 6 To Hit). Complements the roster giant dinosaurs and powerful laser beam attacks.
The Ogre Kingdoms are conglomerations of Ogre, powerful hulking monsters that charge their enemies heads-down to consume them once defeated, and the diminutive Gnoblars that are able to provide the technical expertise (and small fingers) their masters lack. Most of the range is available as part of the Ogor Mawtribes army in Age of Sigmar. Ogres instil Fear in their adversaries, count as Monstrous Infantry and perform Impact hits on charge with an added bonus to armour piercing equal to their rank bonus.
The Skaven are an evil race of ramen living in underground cities with a morbid passion for warpstone, a powerful corrupting substance made of pure magic. They are divided in Clans, each specialised in a different way to overcome their opponents, that often include their own comrades. Clan Skryre, for example, adopts powerful explosive weapons with the knack for backfiring, while Clan Moulder prefers genetic mutations. Their range is almost 1:1 available in Age of Sigmar, with many kits having been refreshed in September 2024. In game, they have a variety of units to choose from, from cheap hordes of infantry, to elite monstrosities, but the thing that most unites them is the fact that they can Flee 1″ further.
The Vampire Counts are the hordes of undead that Vampires and Necromancers resurrected to do their bidding. Their roster varies greatly but the general has to be a wizard, be a vampire, a necromancer or a Strigoi Ghoul King that with his willpower maintains the army “alive”. At his death, the army starts to crumble. Their models are spread across several armies of Age of Sigmar (Soulblight Gravelords, Nighthaunt and Flesh-eater Courts), but except for few mount options, almost everything is readily available. In game they play similarly to Tomb Kings but without ranged weapons. In particular they have the ability to regenerate or resurrect fallen comrades and to ignore most Leadership based tests, while the Ghouls have Poisonous Attacks (auto-wounds on a natural 6 To Hit) and the spectres have Ethereal (can only be wounded by magic attacks, and cross any terrain as if it was open field).
Curious about the numerous factions mentioned in the rulebook that don’t have rules? There’s Norsca, Kislev and Grand Cathay, already present in the Total War Warhammer videogame, but also Estalia, Tilea and the Border Princes (or Dogs of War) all described in detail, while Araby is just glanced. Brief mentions are made also of the mysterious races in the east: Ind, Nippon and the Snakemen of Khuresh.