Age of Sigmar/Tactics/Death/Soulblight Gravelords

Grand Alliance Death Soulblight Gravelords

I HAVE COME TO SUCK YOUR BANK ACCOUNT!!!!

Lore Tactics General Tactics

UNDER CONSTRUCTION Darkness falls across the land and the midnight hour is close at hand. Time to make the Mortal Realms to remember the Vampire Counts of old with their successors, the Soulblight Gravelords.

Allegiance Abilities

Battle Traits

• The Unquiet Dead: Like Legions of Nagash before us, you get two place four gravesites; two in your deployment area, and two outside that must be more than 1" from terrain or objectives. One of your Summonable units for every unit that you regularly deploy can be set up in reserve and pop in within a foot of one of these, so long as there are no enemies within 9". These gravesites also act as focuses for some of your other traits.
• Deathless Minions: The Gravelord version of the classic 6+ death save after save affects all units wholly within 12" of both their heroes and gravesites. If a gravesite is near enough an objective, you can skip a babysitter hero for your backline campers with a little less worry.
• Endless Legions: This lets you respawn your destroyed zombie or skeleton units with the Summonable keyword wholly within 12" of one of your gravesites at the end of your battleshock on a 5+ die roll, with a +1 for each enemy unit you destroyed earlier that turn. They only come back at half strength and must be placed at least 9" from enemies as well, but you're not spending a command point like Legions of Nagash used too.
• Locus of Shyish: Death armies lean heavily into magic, and Gravelords get to resolve their lore spells (NOT their warscroll spells, arcane bolt or mystic shield) twice if they get an unmodified 9+ on their cast roll, provided it's not unbound.
• Reanimated Horrors: Non-death models within 6" of your Deathrattle or Deadwalker units get a -1 to their bravery, or -2 if they are within 6" of two or more of them. Begs the question on how a giant undead bat with 'terror' in its name is less frightening, but can turn the tide if leveraged properly, especially as the second level can easily be satisfied with a support unit like a corpse cart or Wight king that wants to stick tight to some of those guys anyhow.
• Deathly Invocation: Peeled out of the various warscrolls, heroes can heal a number of summonable units within 12" of d3 wounds/equivalent models. The Mortarchs get four units, vampires can do three, while wights and necromancers can top off two. Unfortunately, a unit can only benefit from this once per turn, and can't get the healing if they were already healed by Invigorating Aura (or vice versa), severely hampering your prospective staying power.

Bloodlines

There's five subfactions for soulblight each with a full complement of relics and command traits, and all of them have access to special character at least one special character.

Legion of Night

Traits

• The Bait: +1 to save rolls on the first turn for Deathrattle and Deadwalker units. Since these are likely the first to move into the line of fire, you'll be needing that boost to defense.

• Ageless Cunning: You can set up one unit in reserve for every unit you have placed on the board and bring them in with ambush 6" from a board edge outside of 9" from enemy units at the end of your movement phase. At the start of round 4, units still in reserve are destroyed.

Command Traits

• Above Suspicion: Deep strike the general from outflank onto the board anywhere on the battlefield at the end of your movement fase. (Outside of 9 from enemy units like normal)

• Swift Form: 2+ Movement. Good if you’re using the footslogger Vampire for some reason.

• Unbending Will: No battleshock wholly within 12 of the general.

• Merciless Hunter: +1 to wound rolls for general in melee.

• Unholy Impetus: If the general slays an enemy model in close combat, one friendly unit wholly within 12" gets +1 attack on all their melee weapons until the end of the phase. Changed to wholly within 12 instead of 3, probably your best choice.

• Terrifying Visage: Subtract 1 from wound rolls against the general in melee.

Kastelai

Kastelai are the entourage of Prince Vhordrai in the magically teleporting crimson keep, and seem to be the replacement for the old blood dragons, and similarly lean into blood knights, who they get as battleline.

Traits

• The Shifting Keep: Kastelai Blood Knights up to half your unit count can be placed in reserve instead of on the battlefield, and be setup within 6" of any table edge and more than 9" from enemies at the end of your movement phase. The pretty standard rider of them being destroyed if not place by round four also applies.
• Might of the Crimson Keep: Vampire keyword units gain a characteristic bonus when they destroy units; +1 damage to non-mount melee weapons if it was a Hero/Monster, +1 to it's wounds if it had 3+ wounds, or +2" to run and charge for everything else.

Artifacts

• Sword of the Red Seneschals: If an enemy model is slain by the bearer's melee weapon, add +1 to wound roll attacks made by a friendly unit wholly within 12" of the bearer until the end of the phase.
• Bloodsaint's Shield: Enemy Wizards within 6" of the bearer subtract -1 from casting rolls.
• Standard of the Crimson Keep: Missile weapons shot at the bearer subtract -1 from hit rolls.
• Shard of Grave-Sand: At the start of the hero phase, the bearer crushes the Shard and adds +1 to Deathless Minions rolls for friendly units wholly within 12". Once per game.
• Fragment of the Keep: Enemy units within 6" of the bearer subtract -1 from wound rolls.
• The Red Casket: At the start of your charge phase, you can add +3 to your charge rolls. Once per game.

Spell Lores

Lore of Vampires

• Invigorating Aura: Casting Value 8. Pick 1 summonable unit wholly within 18" of the caster. You can heal up to 3 wounds, or return slain models that have a combined wounds characteristic of 3 or less. Add +1 to the casting roll for each hero on the battlefield. Interestingly enough, this spell can be taken alongside any one other spell on this table.
• Blades of Shyish: Casting Value 5. Roll a dice for each enemy unit within 12" of the caster. On a 3+ that unit suffers a mortal wound.
• Spirit Gale: Casting Value 5. Pick 1 enemy unit wholly within 18" and roll 2D6. If the roll is greater than that unit's bravery, that unit suffers a number of mortal wounds equal to the difference between the unit's bravery and the 2D6 number rolled.
• Soulpike: Casting Value 6. Pick a unit wholly within 18". If that unit tries to charge, roll a number of dice equal to the charge value. For each 4+ the unit suffers a mortal wound.
• Amethystine Pinions: Casting Value 5. Add +6" to the caster's Move characteristic.
• Vile Transference: Casting Value 4. Pick an enemy unit within 6". Roll a number of dice equal to half the unit's wounds. For each 6, you heal 1 wound.
• Amaranthine Orb: Casting Value 6. Pick a point within 9" of the caster, and draw an "imaginary straight line" from the point to the caster. Roll a dice for each unit the line passes by, and on a 2+ that unit suffers D3 mortal wounds.

Warscrolls

Named Characters

• Neferata, Mortarch of Blood(Legion of Blood):
• Mannfred Von Carstein, Mortarch of Night (Legion of Night):
• Prince Vhordrai(Kastelai):
• Belladamma Volga, First of the Vyrkos (Vyrkos):
• Radukar, The Wolf(Vyrkos, if you happen to have Cursed City):
• Radukar, The Beast (Vyrkos):
• Kritza, The Rat Prince:
• Annika, The Thirsting Blade:
• Lauka Vai, The Mother of Nightmares (Avengorii):
• Prince Duvalle:

Heroes

• Vampire Lord: The average vampire is pretty potent for a warrior with flight, a modest weapon with -1 Rend and the ability to heal d3 wounds whenever it kills an enemy model in combat - meaning that you might actually be able to hang on even if you just kill a few models in a mob each turn. It's also a wizard with a command ability that gives one summonable unit extra attacks, which you'll need because those goons are going to go down quickly.
• Vampire Lord on Zombie Dragon:
• Coven Throne:
• Bloodseeker Palanquin:
• Vengorian Lord:
• Wight King: The pure beatstick of the heroes. While the weapon's about as effective as the vampire's, though the wight king also deals a mortal wound on a nat 6 to hit. His command ability's specifically made for skellies, making a Deathrattle unit within 12" re-roll 1s to hit in melee. If you're planning to focus more on the bone-boys, then you'll be just well-served by this guy as you would with a vampire.
• Wight King on Skeletal Steed:
• Necromancer: A wizard clad in tatters. Then again, why would he need anymore when he can just have some nearby summonable units soak up the wounds for him. Indeed, he does need them around because aside from summoning them and using them as meatshields, he can also cast a unique spell that can let them fight again, a stark upgrade from the vampire lord's command ability and only casts on a 6+.

Battleline

• Deathrattle Skeletons: Summonable. Renamed and remodeled skeletons with mediocre weapons with no rend. Rather than the utterly pointless 6+ saves of old, they come with a 5+, and the ability to re-roll 1s on their Deathless Legion's checks. Also helping bolster their numbers is the ability to resurrect models slain during the fight phase. Granted, this means nothing for skellies shot down by arrows or artillery, but it can make them more of a nuisance once they're stuck in.
• Deadwalker Zombies: Summonable. The real disposable fodder, not even getting a save. Fortunately, they have a much larger range to get stuck in and consolidate an additional 3", so they can get stuck in pretty quickly. Also helpful is that they can rise up again from the fight phase very easily on a 2+. They can deal a mortal wound if they roll a nat 6 to hit, and that will help if the enemy in question lacks any sort of protection. However, considering how much of a joke they are in combat, don't expect them to kill much.
• Dire Wolves:

Behemoth

• Terrorgheist(Battleline in Avengorii):
• Zombie Dragon(Battleline in Avengorii):
• Mortis Engine:

Other

• Grave Guard: Summonable. Essentially tougher skeletons with a full command group that enables them to charge at full range. While they can't reinforce themselves in combat, they have the option between either a sword and shield (giving them a 4+ save) or a big sword, and both weapons deal mortal wounds on a 6+. Since they're still summonable, you can make them a bit more reliable as a bunker against archers.
• The Sepulchral Guard: The Shadespire warband. Though you have plenty of models, you're not going to get much out of them since most of the weapons lack any form of Rend and even a nat 6 to hit just deals an additional hit. Really, they're just a more easily maintained pack of skeletons that can't be summoned. As long as the leader remains, he can raise d3 of his boys each hero phase.
• Black Knights: (Battleline in Legion of Blood) Summonable. Your skeletal cavalry, equipped with a full command group and 0 rend weapons. Fortunately, they can deal mortal wounds on the charge, which is what they'll rely on to make the most out of their attacks.
• Corpse Cart with Unholy Lodestone: A mobile support unit for your necromancers and goons. All of your wizards add +1 to their casting rolls for being within 12" of this cart, which you'll need because your army depends on those spells. Your zombies also pick up a 6+ save for being within 12" of the cart, the which you'll probably not be needing.
• Corpse Cart with Balefire Braizer: While the Unholy Lodestone makes the cart into a support unit, this is more of a debuff unit. Enemy wizards suffer a -1 to casting for being within 18" of this fiend, and enemies within 9" of this cart suffer -1 to wound in melee - not much against dedicated bruisers, but it can be annoying for otherwise normal foot soldiers like Freeguild.
• Fell Bats: Summonable. Roving irritants and screens. They're about as flimsy as zombies with their only redeeming factor being their mobility. Not only can they fly, but they can also retreat and charge at the same turn, making them annoying to catch in a crowded space.
• Vargheists (Battleline in Legion of Night) Some furious monsters that come with -1 Rend so they can at least rip through armor and focus more upon overwhelming enemies with their swings. However, they're glass cannons with only a 5+ save to protect them. Fortunately, you can throw them in reserves and then drop them at a later turn, primed and ready to lash out at whatever they come across.
• Blood Knights (Battleline in Kastelai Dynasty): The moment we've all been waiting for; Blood Knights, bane of The world-that-was, are reborn in fabulous plastic! Some of the most iconic heavy calvary since Bretonnia got squatted, these guys are both tough and hard hitting, with a 3+ save, 3 wounds and vampire kill/regen, accompanied by quality 3/3+/3+/-1/1 attacks that gets +1 damage on the charge, (along with their mounts trampling, but those rarely amount to much in the long run). They can also go over units in their movement phase, if they start within 3" of one and only over those with 3 or less wounds and without mounts (so for example, Troggoths are game but Kavalos Deathriders aren't) and deal d3 mortal wounds on a 2+ if they do. They are expensive, but worth investing in if you need a good hammer. Special mention should go to Kastelai Blood Knights, who can outflank if set up in reserves.

Army Building

Given its contents, and depending on the bloodlines that you are going to play, Start Collecting! Flesh-Eater Counts is once again one of the best products GeeDubs has to offer. Get as many as you need or want for you Battleline Zombie Dragons, Terrorgheists or Vhargheists.

At the moment of writing this, if you local store still has a Start Collecting! Skeleton Horde, or an even rarer Battleforce with them, you can grab them and get you Mortarch of choice (except Arkhan, who is MIA in the lore and not part of the army roster) while getting extra Black Knights and Skellies, who also happen to be Battleline choices.

Allies

• Drogg Fort-Kicka: The Mega-Gargant allocated as an ally for DEATH armies, he's a big smashy monster with the extra ability to deal out some easy mortal wounds to a bigger unit, and most importantly, the ability to destroy terrain. This includes faction terrain, so send him after that lumineth waterfall and the wizard sitting on it, the priest standing on an altar of blood, or knock a ghoul king off his throne.
• Nighthaunt: Sadly, since they rely on 'summonable', and most of your abilities are specifically SOULBLIGHT summonable...not actually a good deal. Still, they have some very nice units...
• Flesh Eater Courts: You share units, they have some nice ghouls that in a pinch can 'counts as' zombies, and they have a powerful wizard AND a spell that buffs the heck out of them? A very nice choice.

Tactics

Age of Sigmar Tactics Articles
General Tactics	Tactics Realm Of Battle Malign Sorcery Path to Glory Skirmish
Order	Cities of Sigmar Daughters of Khaine Fyreslayers Idoneth Deepkin Kharadron Overlords Lumineth Realm-Lords Seraphon Stormcast Eternals Sylvaneth
Chaos	Beasts Of Chaos Blades of Khorne Disciples of Tzeentch Hedonites of Slaanesh Maggotkin of Nurgle Skaven Slaves to Darkness
Death	Flesh-Eater Courts Nighthaunt Ossiarch Bonereapers Soulblight Gravelords
Destruction	Gloomspite Gitz Ogor Mawtribes Orruk Warclans Sons of Behemat
Others	Monstrous Arcanum Legends Old Rules