Slaves to Darkness have recently has a significant glow up. The Slaves to Darkness Army Set is a hugely impressive package. The new Slaves to Darkness Battletome results in a much more competitive force. And the new miniatures, such as the Chaos Chosen, are simply fantastic. With that in mind, it’s highly likely that many Warhammer: Age of Sigmar players are jumping into the army fresh. So here’s a beginner’s guide for how to build a Slaves to Darkness army list!
Getting Started with a Slaves to Darkness Army
The best place to begin with a new Slaves to Darkness army, perhaps aside from the glorious Slaves to Darkness Army Set mentioned above, is the new Vanguard: Slaves to Darkness set. This new boxed set priced at £85 GBP through Games Workshop, however the link above will take you to Element Games where you can purchase it for just £72.25!
The Vanguard: Slaves to Darkness box comes with 17 models. The total in-game points comes to 680; a little shy of the recommended 1,000 points for a beginner’s army. We’ll go into what comes next below, but first, here’s the contents of the box:
Vanguard: Slaves to Darkness Contents:
- 1x Chaos Lord (115 points)
- 10x Chaos Warriors (220 points)
- 5x Chaos Knights (230 points)
- 1x Gorebeast Chariot (115 points) (also buildable as a Chaos Chariot, for 100 points)
That’s a good start. However, as stated above, we want a full 1,000 point army suitable for beginners. So below you’ll find a few recommended additions for those extra points!
Chaos Sorcerer Lord (120 Points)
The Chaos Sorcerer Lord may not seem like anything remarkable. He’s a single cast and single unbind wizard. However, what he does provide is his spell Daemonic Power. With a casting value of 6 and a range of 18″, it’s an easy cast. With it, you’ll be able to give any of your units in this list +1 to hit and +1 to wound for their melee attacks. Additionally, he can give a 6+ ward to one of your other units until the next hero phase.
Mindstealer Sphiranx (95 Points)
An acquired taste, this one. Especially considering it’s one of the rare models that has been a little downgraded with the new Battletome. Despite this, the Mindstealer Sphiranx is still hugely valuable for breaking enemy lines. It’s Dominate Mind ability allows you to apply the Strike-Last Effect to an enemy unit if you roll greater than it’s Bravery on 2D6. This can be invaluable when trying to cut through the low-bravery, high damage chaff like Lumineth Realm-Lords: Vanari Auralan Wardens.
The Mindstealer Sphiranx can also be used in Warcry, if you’re so inclined. As can…
Scions of the Flame (80 Points)
While not likely to be everyone’s first choice, Scions of the Flame have a brilliant ability that makes up for a distinctly lacking area in much of the Slaves to Darkness army. Ranged damage is not Slaves to Darkness’ forte, and while Scions of the Flame don’t have a super long range, they do have a potential for super high damage output!
Just 8″ in the Shooting Phase. Not great, but, how about 4+1D6 attacks, and then each hit becomes three wound rolls for units of more than 10 models? Damn. That’s aggressive rat boy killing right there!
Slaves to Darkness Army List for Beginners
So, what this all comes down to is four purchases. The Vanguard: Slaves to Darkness box, the Chaos Sorcerer Lord, the Mindstealer Sphiranx and the Scions of the Flame set. All of this can be purchased for under £150 at Element Games. Certainly not a bad price to pay for a complete Slaves to Darkness army for beginners! Here’s the full list of how it shakes out:
Army Faction: Slaves to Darkness
– Subfaction: Host of the Everchosen
LEADERS
Chaos Lord (115)
– General
– Mark of Nurgle
– Reaperblade and Daemonbound Steel
– Command Trait: Death Dealer
– Artefact: Hellfire Sword(Reaperblade)
Chaos Sorcerer Lord (120)
– Mark of Nurgle
– Lore of the Damned: Daemonic Speed
BATTLELINE
10x Chaos Warriors (220)
– Mark of Nurgle
– Murderous Weapons
– Retinue
5x Chaos Knights (230)
– Mark of Nurgle
– Cursed Flail
– Ensorcelled Banner: The Eroding Icon
10x Scions of the Flame (80)
OTHER
1x Gorebeast Chariot (115)
– Mark of Khorne
– Lashing Whip & Chaos War-Flail
1x Mindstealer Sphiranx (95)
TOTAL POINTS: 975/1000
So there we have it! Everything you need to get started with your brand new Slaves to Darkness army! What do you think about the selections made? Are there other armies you’d like to see covered? Perhaps the upcoming Beasts of Chaos retooling? Let us know in the comments below!
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