Games Workshop is finally updating the venerable plastic Warhammer Chaos Marauders model kits, starting with a new Darkoath Army set for Warhammer Age of Sigmar. The box set contains 27 new models for the Darkoath subfaction, including updates to classic minis and two completely new models.
While the Darkoath are part of the Slaves to Darkness Age of Sigmar army, we have no doubt that these new minis are going to be popular among people playing the Chaos Warriors Warhammer: The Old World faction. The Marauder miniatures are long past due an update: the current plastic Chaos Marauder kit was released for Warhammer Fantasy in 2002, with the Chaos Marauder horsemen released in 2008.
The Darkoath Army Set contains 20 Darkoath Marauders, an update to the classic footslogging Chaos Marauders, and five horseback Darkoath Fellriders, an update to Chaos Marauder horsemen.
They maintain the same, Frank Frazetta inspired aesthetic as their predecessors – these figures are largely naked except for their undies, a few bits of armor, and just enough leather straps to hold it all in place – but rendered with modern figure sculpting techniques.
There’s also some modern ideas, too, with half of the Marauders having male torsos and half female torsos, and ample heads to stick where you like.
The first new model without an older counterpart is the Darkoath Chieftain on Warsteed, pictured in the header image for this article. He’s a horseback boss to accompany the Fellriders, radiating ‘Conan the Barbarian’ energy.
He’s overshadowed by the gribbly new Wilderfiend, a spike-backed monstrosity that was once a “powerful mortal champion whose ambitions outstipped their abilities”.
For the lore nerds, the Warhammer Community post introducing the Darkoath Army set explains that he isn’t exactly a Chaos spawn. Whereas a mortal who receives more blessings from the Chaos gods than their body can bear will devolve into a spawn, a Wilderfiend “earned the enmity of their dark patrons for breaking one of their oaths”.
The Darkoath Army Set will contain a Battletome Supplement adding these new unit stat lines to the Slaves to Darkness army list. There’s no word yet on when the set will be released.
If these new minis have got you fired up to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their boyfriends, girlfriends, and enby paramours, make sure you’ve brushed up on the Warhammer: The Old World rules with our handy guide. If you’d prefer to stay abreast of Age of Sigmar news, follow Wargamer on Google News for all the latest.