Age of Sigmar: How to Play Daughters of Khaine
Today we look into the Daughters of Khaine faction of Age of Sigmar. Murder never looked so good.
Now that she’s a fully formed Goddess, Morathi has taken Khaine’s place as the head of the Daughters of Khaine. In the wake of her great ritual and the betrayal it spawned, Morathi now leads an army that is basically a faction unto itself. Owing allegiance to no one but herself. Here are a few tips and tricks for navigating the new Daughters of Khaine battletome.
Who Are the Daughters of Khaine?
Combining the murderous servants of the Aelven god of bloodshed with the half-shadow Umbraneth and the bestial Scathborn, the Daughters of Khaine are a deadly force of near psychopathic killers that still somehow identify as Order. They devote the blood they spilled once to their shattered god, now to their twisted queen. Daughters of Khaine are a terrifying foe, reveling in the slaughter of their enemy more than actual victory. Their queen, Morathi-Khaine, is a creature of awesome power. Her soul is split between her sorceress aspect and the monstrous Shadow Queen form, the latter which more reflects the corruption within her. When they go to battle, it is to the sound of fearful howls and almost flirtatous curses. For this is a force fully confident in their unmatched skill.
Why Play Daughters of Khaine?
One of the deadliest close combat forces in the entire game, the Daughters of Khaine are the true representation of a glass scalpel army. They move fast, hit hard, and only become deadlier as they work themselves into a mad fury. When more force is required they can even summon living effigies of their god to the battlefield, which can tear apart all but the hardiest of foes.
Strengths
- You may have the single most powerful special character in the game. Not the strongest, or the best caster, or the toughest, but enough of all three to make her off the charts.
- The Blood Rites table is pretty nuts, if you can survive a protracted game.
- The. Avatar. Of. Khaine.
- A strong selection of magic, prayers, and combat strength to quickly shift strategies.
Weaknesses
- Your shooting tends to be a little weak.
- You’re skinny elves in chainmail bikinis, and your defenses reflect that.
- Hard to crack armies can blunt you if you aren’t very tactical.
Signature Rules
The following rules apply to all Daughters of Khaine:
- All-Out Slaughter – A special command ability that gives one of your units exploding 6s. Makes a big block of Witch Aelves living blenders.
- Battle Fury – A special command ability that allows one of your non-Monster heroes to add 2 to all their attacks. In a combat army like this one, that’s huge.
- Blood Rites – A table that ticks up every turn, adding a new and terrifying ability to your entire army. The longer the game goes, the more dangerous you are.
- Fanatical Faith – 6+ ward save across the board. Helps to make up for the chainmail bikinis.
Subfactions
Daughters of Khaine subfactions are called Temples, and each one will allow you to play a different style of army. If you like snakes, Cobra, erm…I mean Zainthar Kai is the one for you, but there are others for everything from combat to magic.
5 Top Units
Cauldron of Blood – An amazing centerpiece model, monster of combat, and potent support lynchpin, to say nothing of the hero on its back. There are few DoK armies that don’t include this beastie.
High Gladiatrix – An incredible new hero that can turn your murder brides up to 12. She can also assassinate weakened heroes, so use her to deal with chafe support and keep your army moving.
Melusai Ironscale – If you prefer your murder a little more snakey, the Ironsacle is the choice for you. Boasting a catapulting effect that will make your snakes even stronger whenever she kills something, she’s an extraordinary combat monster. Even if you don’t take many snakes, you might want to consider her just for the kill potential.
Witch Aelves – Your primary battleline and the murder ladies of legend. Even better in the new tome, they can dish out an extraordinary amount of damage in a single turn with the right support. You can also tune them for either offense or defense. But even in defense they’re super deadly. For my money, I’d take a unit of both.
Blood Stalkers – An extremely powerful shooting unit to keep your combat units covered. They can dish out mortal wounds, and they’re no slouch in combat should the enemy try to tie them down.
Sample Army (1000 pts)
Army: Daughters of Khaine
Leader: Slaughter Queen on Cauldron of Blood. General.
Leader: High Gladiatrix
Battleline: 20 Witch Aelves
Battleline: 20 Witch Aelves
Battleline: 10 Sisters of Slaughter
How to Play Daughters of Khaine
Move fast, hit hard, and try not to leave any survivors. It’s pretty likely you won’t survive a protracted battle, so try to dictate every engagement.
For Khaine!
