Beasts of Chaos!

Written by Shadowdale Sunday, 08 November 2009 00:50

As Quoted from Warseer

General info

Release is February 2010, after Tyranids, with advance orders starting January 4th.

Was to be written by Andy Hoare, but he has since quit Games Workshop.

Rules

Army-wide Special Rules and Magic Items

Ambush is supposedly staying much the same, though it has been suggested that it will no longer be dependant on the General.

No news on Unruly.

Alongside Magic Items, "Mutations" will be available in the same way as WoC Gifts or Vampire Powers, operating on the same budgetary lines. Bonuses, like Scaly Skin, extra Strength and Movement are expected, as well as more esoteric abilities like Breath Weapons. Multiples of the same Mutation are expected to be allowed.

Marks are no longer limited throughout the army. No news on their exact rules, though they are assumed to be similar to, if not the same as, the WoC marks.

*Note, army-list slots are representative only until more solid rumours appear*

Lords & Heroes

Beastlord/Wargor – Ld 9, T5, with appropriate price hikes. May take Chaos Armour. May be accompanied by a 'pet' US3 Beast Spawn.

Great Bray-Shaman/Bray-Shaman – May be able to take a Herdstone, in the same manner as an Anvil/Casket. Beast Spawn as above.

Doombull– A metal box set release is confirmed; it is assumed that the Doombull will still allow Minotaurs as Core.

Centigor Hero - Aside from the Centigor Special Character, it has been rumoured that there will be a Centigor character available as a standard Hero choice. However, this may be a mutation rather than a seperate choice.

Daemon Prince? - Believed to still be in the list, though different to the WoC incarnation.

Core

Beast Herds - No new models are expected, though Gors and Ungors are to be split into two seperate Plastic Boxes. Ranking issues to be fixed. Supposedly the champion will no longer provide +1Ld. Some sort of Scout option is believed to be available.

Bestigor Herds – New Plastic Models.

Warhounds - Varieties of Warhounds allowed through upgrades - Hunting, Guarding, etc.

Centigor? – Rumoured to be moved to Core. Fast Cavalry. Supposedly armour options will be available.

Special

Tuskgor Chariots – Unclear as of yet if it is 2-4-1 or one per slot.

Minotaurs – New plastic models. Believed to still be Core with Doombull.

Dragon Ogres? - Possibly dropped. On the one hand, they are thought not to 'fit' with the new Beasts 'feel'. On the other, plastic Dragon Ogres are also rumoured.

Chaos Trolls? - Very possibly dropped.

Harpies/Gargoyles/Gorgoyles - Flying infantry, replacing Furies.

Rare

Chaos Giant – As in WoC book.

Spawn – Assumed to be in WoC book. Possibility of slight changes.

Gorgon – A new monster. Supposedly on a chariot-base, with Movement 8 and stats in the 5s, with Impact Hits and a Breathweapon. Model is probable, but unconfirmed.

Dragon Ogre Shaggoth? - Possibly dropped. Even less likely to appear than the Dragon Ogres.

Herdstone/Dark Heart? – In the same vein as a Corpse Cart, Warshrine, and Screaming Bell, a Herdstone with the ability to buff nearby units might be expected. However, it may be an upgrade/"mount" for the Bray-Shaman. A "giant evil tree/corrupt treeman" has been suggested, "dark heart of the forest" style.

Special Characters

All the Special Characters from the last book are believed to in this one. New ones talked about include:
- A Daemon Prince. May have Bloodthirster-level stats. Possibly Nurgle/Slaanesh marked.
- A Minotaur character dragging a Herdstone (as seen in the Rare and Bray-Shaman entries). May be a Champion upgrade.
- A Foe-Render character with the +1Ld of the old book, among other things.
- The Thing From The Woods, a giant Warhound/Spawn from Mordheim.
- A Centigor character with special Drunken rules and a magical Great Weapon.
- A Tzeentchian Bray-Shaman with a raven's head.

Models and Army Book

No pics yet. Work by Aly Morrison and Mark Harrison. Releases rumoured are:
- Beastlord and Bray-Shaman
* Plastic Bestigor Box. Ten models, £25. CONFIRMED
* Plastic Minotaur Box, sculpted by Mark Harrison. Unknown number of models (4 seems likely), £27. CONFIRMED
* Metal Doombull Box, sculpted by Mark Harrison. One model, unknown price.
* Metal "Grulgor" Box. Unknown number of models or content.
* Ungors and Gors are being split up into seperate boxes. Whether or not this heralds a shift in the army list is unknown.
- Gorgon Model, likely plastic considering recent "monstrous" releases.
- Presumably new Special Characters in metal.
- Plastic Dragon Ogres are heavily rumoured for release, though as part of a second wave for Warriors of Chaos.

The Tuskgor Chariot is receiving a new product code - this doesn't mean it's receiving a new model.

Doom Bull confirmed, Metal Box set. I'll have the price in 24 hours.

Grulgor - Metal Box set. No Idea what that could be...

Chariot got a new Product code, does not mean that it's a new model though.

Minotauren: Full Plastic Box Set - 35 Euro

Bestigors: Full Plastic Box Set, 32,50 Euro.

Gors: Full Plastic Box Set

Ungors: Full Plastic Box Set.

Other Thoughts
It seems strange that, after all the new units of recent books (Warshrine & Forsaken / Razordon & Engine / Corpse Cart & Blood Knights & Varghulf / Doomwheel & Verminlord & Abomination & Plague Furnace & Mortar & so on) Beasts of Chaos, an army list that's lost quite a bit in the Chaos Split, would only gain the new Gorgon and maybe Harpies/Gargoyles. I, for one, expect a few more shiny new units to be popping their heads from between the dark trees of the rumour-forest as the release date draws closer.
* Such as the "Grulgor" (german name), being released in a metal box set. It's unknown if this name (translating as "Horror Gor") refers to a new unit of Forsaken-style Spawngor, to an existing rumoured unit, or to something else entirely.