Age of Sigmar: How to Play Hedonites of Slaanesh – Godseekers
Today we take a look at the basics of how to play Godseekers from the Hedonites of Slaanesh Battletome. Think you can keep up?
For a good portion of the Age of Sigmar timeline, the Chaos god Slaanesh was notably missing, locked in an impossible demi-Realm between Ulgu and Hysh and bound with unbreakable bonds by the Aelven gods. However, his followers were not idle in his absence and turned all their skill to recovering him, despoiling his enemies, or even replacing him altogether. The Hedonites split into three distinct factions, each showing their devotion to the Prince of Excess in their own way. Today, we look at Godseekers, perhaps Slaanesh’s most devoted disciples, and how they perform on the tabletop.
courtesy Games Workshop
Who are the Godseekers?
The Godseekers show their devotion by riding down the Dark Prince’s enemies, slicing them to ribbons with bladed chariots or running them to ground from the back of lithe daemonic steeds. While Slaanesh was bound between the Realms, the Godseekers hunted for his prison and sought above all else to see their lord freed. Once he was finally unleashed anew onto the Realms, they turned their hunting parties to returning the Aelven souls that had been so rudely stolen from Slaanesh’s belly. With the addition of the new mortal followers, they’re even more efficient now at doing just that, and woe betides the fools that think they can outpace them.
Why Play Godseekers?
Godseekers reward aggression and speed, so they do everything they can to buff their movement on the battlefield. They get charge bonuses, generate extra depravity points for charging into combat, and can take the deadly Seeker Chariots as battleline, meaning you should be able to get into combat on the very first turn with minimal difficulty. If you want to play as the finest mounted hunters in the Realms, this is the faction for you.
courtesy Games Workshop
Strengths
- Having chariots as battleline allows you to take an entire chariot army if you want.
- Several Slaanesh units can re-roll their charge or charge after running/retreating, meaning you’ll always be in the combat you want to be in.
- Unless your opponent is very canny or lucky, you’ll be able to dictate every combat on the battlefield.
- Slaanesh thrives on close combat, and this army gets you there faster than any other.
- Thanks to recent mortal additions to the Hedonites, you can cover close combat or shooting with equal skill.
Weaknesses
- Slaanesh is far from the most durable of god-aligned armies, and your anvils are too slow to keep pace.
- If you’re too overzealous with charges, you can get trapped.
Subfactions
Hedonites have unique army rules rather than subfactions, but the Godseekers have access to the Scarlet Cavalcade, which are a great pick if you want to turn the speed up to 11 and don’t mind missing out on your first artefact pick.
courtesy Games Workshop
Signature Rules
Every Hedonites army has the following special rules:
- Euphoric Killers – All Hedonites score an extra hit on an unmodified 6 in close combat, or two extra hits if they have 20 or more models. Close combat is really where your army thrives.
- Feast of Depravities – This is how you summon your daemonic forces using depravity points. At the end of the battleshock phase, any units on the battlefield that took a wound or mortal wound or lost any models nets you a depravity point. In addition, every specific Host has a unique way to generate extra points.
- Locus of Diversion – Your daemons can distract the enemy and prevent them from piling in, meaning you can assault them with impunity and not have to worry much about retaliation.
In addition, the Godseekers have the following battle traits:
- Maniacal Hunters – If your general charges successfully, you get d3 depravity points, plus an extra if anyone else completed a charge. Godseekers like to run, so let them.
- Thundering Cavalcade – +1 to charges army-wide. This is amazing when combined with the above.
Terrain
The terrain for a Hedonites army is the Fane, which acts as a summoning point for your daemons as well as offers you the opportunity to sacrifice blood or treasures for power. If you don’t mind chucking your artefact into the portal, the rewards are definitely worth it.
Key Units
The Godseekers can benefit from just about any entry in the book, but these 5 units should seldom be left behind.
Bladebringer, Herald on Exalted Chariot – Of the three Bladebringer options, this one is my favorite, combining all the best bits of both the Hellflayer and the Seeker Chariot. The Herald on the back has a pretty snazzy unique spell, and with a 10″ move that doesn’t degrade and 10 wounds, it can get to combat quickly and stay there for a while. Your primary choice for general.
Seeker Chariots – A hyper-fast unit that can retreat and charge, has a 12″ movement, and counts as Battleline in a Godseekers army. While they won’t last forever in combat, they’ll hit hard and early, softening up the enemy for some of your heavier hitters. They can be taken in units of up to 3, which you’ll want to do at least once to make a giant threat bubble for your opponent to deal with.
Slickblade Seekers – A fast and deadly cavalry unit, even by Slaanesh standards, that can deal an extraordinary amount of damage thanks to dealing additional mortal wounds on an unmodified 6 to wound with their spears. They can also re-roll their charges, meaning they’ll rarely miss their target, and with four wounds apiece, they can weather the return fire. The only thing that can make them better would be something to make them battleline.
Keeper of Secrets – The big daemon of Slaanesh and one of the scariest combat monsters in the game that isn’t a god or Gargant. The Keeper has a massive selection of options, allowing you to customize your daemon to whatever you need most, and even in a mounted army, it has the speed to keep up. Always bring this along and watch it mop up your enemy’s best-laid plans.
Seekers of Slaanesh – Mounted daemonettes that run 2d6, can regenerate lost models, and get stronger the more they kill. A unit of 10 of these will remove just about any threat you point them at, but they’re best utilized to take out hordes of light infantry or warmachines.
Sample Army (1000 pts)
Army: Hedonites of Slaanesh (Godseekers)
Leader: Bladebringer on Exalted Chariot. General.
Battleline: 2 x Seeker Chariot
Battleline: 2 x Seeker Chariot
Other: Exalted Chariot
Godseekers Tips
Charge early and pick your targets. Keep your opponent on the back foot and make sure YOU control combat, and you should be totally fine.
~Gotta Go Fast!
