Age of Sigmar: How to Play Kruleboyz
Today we talk about how to play Kruleboyz in Age of Sigmar. Careful walking through the swamps of Ghur; you might not be as alone as you think…
In the wake of Kragnos’s ascension, a new breed of Orruk that had been hidden away in the deep swamps of the Realms emerged, seeing his rise as their call to tear down the forces of the other Alliances. These crafty Orruks, called the Kruleboyz, are surprisingly intelligent, and unlike their more brutish kin like to ambush their foes or outmaneuver them with sneaky tactics and underhanded poisons. Here’s a quick overview of how to best utilize these swampy ninjas on the battlefield, and a few units you’ll never want to leave in the bog.
Who are the Kruleboyz?
Lankier and smaller than the other Orruks, the Kruleboyz prefer kunnin’ and tactics to take down their foes, rather than brute strength. They even carry surprisingly sophisticated (for an Orruk anyway) crossbows, and their archers are able to match accuracy with some of the best sharpshooters in the Realms. They rise from the swamps on the backs of loathesome beasts, some even more vile and venomous than the Orruks themselves, and their primary leader, Gobsprakk, is said to have the ear of Kragnos himself. Under his leadership, the Kruleboyz have become a legitimate threat to the Realms, and more than a few hapless travelers have vanished into the swamps, never to be seen again.
Why Play Kruleboyz?
The Kruleboyz have a lot of fun tactical flexibility, they are good from range or up close, and they have some of the coolest looking models in the Orruk range. Plus, it’s really fun to mess with your opponent’s plans, and the Kruleboyz give you a suite of tricks to do just that.
Strengths
- Awesome centerpiece models that look great on the battlefield.
- Since they’re a starter kit army, the basic models are easy to build and cheap to acquire.
- Poisoned weapons are exceptionally powerful with a bit of luck.
- Your boltboyz can lay down a withering hail of fire.
Weaknesses
- They aren’t as durable as standard Orruks, lacking the armor of Ironjawz and the ward of Bonesplitterz.
- You rely on hero support a lot more than you might think.
- You can be overwhelmed surprisingly easily.
Subfactions
Your sub-factions are called warclans, and each one focuses on a different style of fighting. The Grinnin’ Blades are your melee choice, the Big Yellers are masters of range, and the Skulbugz are fun for debuff monster shenanigans. Pick whichever suits your style best, but make sure you pick one; the buffs are quite good.
Signature Rules
- Venom-Encrusted Weapons – Your army dips their weapons in all sorts of vile toxins, and it makes them extremely dangerous. Whenever you roll an unmodified 6 to hit with any Kruleboyz Orruk model (melee OR ranged), you deal a number of mortal wounds equal to the damage of the weapon and the attack sequence ends. Boltboyz are great thanks to this.
- Kruleboyz WAAAGH! – Each clan of Orruk has their own special version of WAAAGH, and the Kruleboyz use theirs as a signal to surround a single foe. Once per battle, you can call your WAAAGH after your general fights, allowing 2 units wholly within 18″ to fight right after, allowing you to get three activations before your opponent gets any chance to retaliate.
- Dirty Tricks – Krulboyz don’t fight fair, and this rule exemplifies that. After both armies have received their starting command points but before the first turn starts, you get to pick a cheap tactic to undermine your opponent, from making your units invisible in cover to blowing up terrain.
Key Kruleboyz Units
The Kruleboyz don’t have a lot of options, but even in the small roster these 5 stand out.
1.Killaboss on Corpse-Rippa Vulcha
Your big boss on the back of a dragon-sized vulture with a stinger in its tail; what’s not to love? His massive base size gives your more board prescense and lets you better position yourself for either a WAAAGH or his battleshock buff. Plus, he can double up on a command trait used earlier in the turn, so having him on a high vantage is very helpful.
2.Snatchaboss on Sludgeraker Beast
Another stompy monster lord that also buffs your poisoned weapons as long as he’s near the target. In addition, he can snag an unmounted hero with a wounds characteristic of 7 or less, killing them outright if he rolls higher than their Wounds on 2d6.
3. Breaka-Boss on Mirebrute Troggoth
Only a depraved Kruleboy would think to utitlize a Troggoth as a mount, but that is where the Breaka-boss is at! A utilitarian, beat-stick of a hero, this dude makes a great missile, blasting something apart without worrying about the return attacks.
4. Gutrippaz
The basic Kruleboy offers much more than one might guess at first glance. With two wounds, a decent number of attacks with potential mortal wounds, and a dirt-cheap cost, a core of Gutrippaz forms the backbone of a competent Kruleboyz army.
5. Man-skewer Boltboyz
An incredible ranged option with two shooting modes, one for close range shots and another for sniping. Each one does 2 wounds, which combined with the Venom rule means that a unit of 6 can decimate a smaller unit with ease.
6. Beast-Skewer Killbow
Like the miniature version above, the Killbow has two firing options, but the damage it can dish out is astronomically higher. Its damage is based on the number of wounds the target has, up to a maximum of 12, and should you roll a 6 to hit on that shot you can knock out a monster in a single shot.
7.Swampcalla Shaman
Your spellcaster, but also a source of your deadliest poisons. Instead of casting, you can choose to make the poisons your boyz carry deal mortals on a 5+ rather than 6+, or add 1 to their save rolls if a particularly scary opponent is headed their way. If you can spare the points, brining Gobsprakk on his Vulcha is definitely worth it, but you’ll still want 1 or 2 of these guys around to support your troops.
Sample Kruleboyz Army (2K pts)
Allegiance: Kruleboyz
– Warclan: Big Yellers
Leaders
Snatchaboss on Sludgeraker Beast
– General
– Command Trait: Egomaniak
– Artefact: Amulet of Destiny (Universal Artefact)
– Mount Trait: Smelly ‘Un
Swampcalla Shaman with Pot-grot
– Lore of the Swamp: Da Black Pit
Swampcalla Shaman with Pot-grot
– Lore of the Swamp: Choking Mist
Swampcalla Shaman with Pot-grot
– Lore of the Swamp: Sneaky Miasma
Battleline
9 x Man-skewer Boltboyz
– Reinforced x 2
9 x Man-skewer Boltboyz
– Reinforced x 2
3 x Man-skewer Boltboyz
10 x Gutrippaz
3 x Man-skewer Boltboyz
10 x Gutrippaz
10 x Gutrippaz
Total: 2000 / 2000
Wounds: 140
Kruleboyz Tipz
Outmaneuver your enemy at every turn and be sure to fight dirty, taking out vulnerable units while staying as far away as possible. When the time is right, sweep in with your monsters and leave your enemy buried in the muck.
~Get outta ma Swamp!
