The three faces of chaos
There have long been two ways to assemble a Chaos army in Warhammer.
These are the Hordes of Chaos and Beasts of Chaos armies, from May 2008 there will be a third one, Daemons of Chaos (Chaos Daemons in Warhammer 40k)
In this article I’ll go over the features of the two existing armies and let you know what you’re likely to find in the new Chaos demon army.
I will briefly explain what Warhammer and Chaos are, Warhammer is the world’s most popular tabletop fantasy wargame and Chaos forms a primal evil force within the fictional world of Warhammer. Chaos has a corrupting influence on everything it touches and exposes, whether intentionally or accidentally it can lead to physical mutation and madness. The mad and the desperate sometimes fall into the worship of Chaos, either in its entirety or in an individual facet. The four most common facets are the following; Khorne the god of blood, Slaanesh god of pleasure, Tzeentch god of change and Nurgle lord of decay. Ok, that’s the basics covered, continuing with the article…
First, the Hordes of Chaos, this army can take one of two main forms. If the army is led by a mortal, mortal troops make up your main options and demonic troops count as special options. In contrast, in armies led by a demon general, demons form the core and mortal troops count as special options. Troop choices are also influenced by the god of Chaos worshiped by the general. Troops from the Beasts of Chaos army list can also be added, which is fully compatible with the Hordes of Chaos rules. This is likely to be the case with the Daemons of Chaos army list as well.
A Chaos Horde army can contain a wide range of daemonic and deadly troops. The deadly units that a Chaos army can use include Chaos Warriors, both infantry and cavalry, these are the elite deadly troops of the Chaos Hordes army and the basic Chaos Marauders. The available demonic units are incredibly varied. Each of the four Chaos Gods has their own pantheon that they can field. In addition to this, any Chaos army can also include the Furies and Chaos Spawn in the fray.
Secondly, Beasts of Chaos, these armies are most effectively formed from herds of Beastmen, these creatures are part man, part beast. Either men who have become part beasts or animals who have become part men through the mutant influence of Chaos. They live in the dark places of the Warhammer world, forming roaming warbands led by the strongest among them. The Beastmen hordes are deadly in battle, forming a ruthless horde of ruthless warriors, war chariots, packs of wild hounds, and larger bands of beasts eager to tear apart any massive foe that dares stand in their way. Chaos Beasts can also fight alongside troops from the Hordes of Chaos list.
Third, Daemons of Chaos, this new army list is likely to be compatible with Chaos lists just like the existing ones can be used together, for more on this we must wait and see. What is known for certain is that there will be a large number of new demonic troops available. These include Masque for Slannesh, Karanak and Bloodcrusher for Khorne and some additional demon troops, including Skulltaker (probably Khorne) and Epidemius, whose affiliation has yet to be confirmed.
Another thing that is guaranteed is that the new Daemons of Chaos army book will include a lot of new background information about the nature of Chaos and the Daemons of four great Chaos powers. For my part, I can’t wait.