Age of Sigmar: How to Play Nighthaunt

Today we look into the Nighthaunt faction of Age of Sigmar. Sometimes that sheet floating in the wind really IS out to get you.

In the wake of Nagash’s sound defeat (when has that not recently happened?), it’s easy to forget the considerable stir he caused when he introduced a Olynder and unleashed the angry spirits of the Nighthaunt, kicking off the Soul Wars. Well, the spooky boys and their banshee queen haven’t forgotten. Here are some quick tips for running the Nighthaunt and a few sample units you won’t want to leave buried.

Who are the Nighthaunt?

The unquiet dead has always plagued the Realms, spirits rising in areas of great strife or where the magic of Shyish is strong. However, it wasn’t until Nagash elevated the Mortarch of Grief, Lady Olynder, that they became an organized fighting force and ushered in the Soul Wars. Spurred on by the cataclysm of the Necroquake, the Nighthaunt spilled out of cracks across every realm to claim souls for the Great Necromancer, the shades robbed of their eternal rest by the corrupting influence of their Mortarch.

Why Play Nighthaunt?

Nighthaunt are a swift shock army that can control the board with a solid line or sweep across their foes in a flurry of spectral weapons. You can mold them to fit several playstyles, have a mix of powerful combat and support heroes, and as Death, can even return from the dead. If you saw the charge of the dead in LotR’s Return of the King and thought, “Yeah, I wanna do that,” then this is the army for you.

Strengths

• They can do a ridiculous amount of damage in combat
• Like all armies of Nagash, death means very little to your units
• Most of your army auto-wounds on Crits, so you’ll be scything through even the toughest of enemies.

Weaknesses

• You are VERY hero dependent, and if they go down, so will you
• The army has a super low army save (6+ for the most part) so even ignoring Rend is a small comfort
• You MUST get the charge off or you’ll fall apart fast
  
  

Nighthaunt Signature Rules

Battle Traits

• Ethereal– Ignore negative save modifiers
• Ethereal Translocation– A unit from your army can vanish from the battlefield and reappear outside 9″ of enemies for a Command Point
• Mounting Dread– Enemy units in combat with your warriors suffer a Control penalty equal to the turn number
• Sepulchral Apparitions– Once per battle you can summon back destroyed Nexus of Grief models

Battle Formations

• Quicksilver Gheists– A friendly unit can phase through combat to get to a more attractive target without taking Retreat damage once per turn.
• Shrieker Host– One of your heroes can lock down units in combat, preventing Retreat moves.
• Death Stalkers– One unit can charge or shoot after Retreating and suffers no damage for Retreating.
• Royal Procession– Two friendly units gain Anti-charge (+1 Rend) for a turn.

Heroic Traits

• Ruler of the Spectral Hosts– Your chosen hero can heal up to three friendly non-Hero units every command phase.
• Deathly Possessor– Your hero can make two enemies fight on a 3+.
• Shadowy Aura– Any unit that Redeploys wholly within 12″ of this hero is -1 to be hit.

Artefacts

• Lightshard of the Harvest Moon– Once per game 12″ plus one attack bubble.
• Brazier of Nagashizzar– In an infantry unit Redeploys wholly within 12″, they move a minimum of 4″.
• Mirror of Echoing Failures– All enemy Wizards and Priests within 12″ suffer -1 to cast or chant and take 1 mortal wound on a failure to cast or chant on a d3 roll of 2+.

Nighthaunt Key Units

Lady Olynder

The Mortarch of Grief is a potent leader, who can once per battle summon back the dead (again) to reinforce all Nighthaunt units on the board! She’s also your most resilient Hero, considering she cannot be hit or wounded on less than a 5+!

Knight of Shrouds on Ethereal Steed

A fast combat lord with a sword that heals you when it kills enemy models and a chain activation that allows a nearby unit to essentially strike simultaneously. This guy will almost always be your general unless you bring one of the special characters.

Guardian of Souls

The primary support caster of your army. While it can’t do the crazy summon shenanigans it used to, it’s still a pretty amazing model. NEVER leave home without at least one of these, especially if you bring Chainrasps.

Reikenor the Grimhailer

Reikenor is a great melee threat and Wizard. He hits hard on the charge with his Fellreaper scythe and can greatly buff his own casting with his Corpse Candles. His newest incarnation is also the bane of enemy Wizards and Priests, so bring him along if you expect to face those.

Spirit Torment

The Spirit Torment is great at keeping your units in fighting strength with Rally and Captured Soul Energy.

Scriptor Mortis

An incredible support caster that is now the first half of a deadly 1-2 Punch combo. He can apply a Crit (Mortal) effect to enemy units with his Sentenced ability.

Lord Executioner

The second half of the combo, this gent is a combat powerhouse. Best of all, if he deals damage to an enemy hero that was Sentenced by the Scriptor, he can oneshot it on a 4+ (or a 5+ any other time).

Lord Vitriolic

The new kid on campus, but this isn’t a scientist you’ll want to call “nerd”. His mix of nasty concoctions can play havoc on every type of unit on the battlefield, even terrain. There’s an argument for having him in every list.

Dreadscythe Harridans

These murderous banshees are the bane of enemy healers with their Harrowing Shriek now preventing healing on units in combat. They aren’t the auto-take they used to be, but they’re certainly not bad.

Craventhrone Guard

Affectionately termed “cross-boos”, Craventhrone are your ghostly ranged unit. Even locking them down in combat isn’t safe, since their Black-Hearted Lackeys ability lets them Retreat for free AND do damage.

Chainrasps

A mainstay horde unit. A tarpit that’s also surprisingly killy with debuffs.

Myrmourn Banshees

Banshees are specialist anti-magic ghosts. With Spell-eaters, they can Unbind a spell like a wizard, with a +1 bonus, and if you do so they deal Mortal Wounds to the enemy wizard!

Bladegheist Revenants

You’ll never regret bringing at least one unit of these deadly warriors. Once they’re rooted on an objective, they become a nightmare to charge thanks to their Thrashing Desperation ability.

Dreadblade Harrows

Dreadblades are a rather unique cavalry unit which come in a unit of two and buff friendly Control Scores with Curse of Loyalty. They also have a free teleport and hit reasonably hard with eight damage two attacks between them.

Pyregheists

These Warcry chaps offer a nice bit of tech with Light the Pyre, dishing out some Mortal Wounds and reducing enemy Control.

Black Coach

The Black Coach is the single most resilient model in the faction and is fairly autonomous. Well equipped to hold a flank. It can also teleport on its own and even replace destroyed friendly Heroes.

Sample Nighthaunt Army

Faction: Nighthaunt
– Battle Formation: Procession of Death

Regiment 1
Olynder
20 x Grimghast Reapers
Black Coach
Black Coach

Regiment 2
Kurdoss
10 Craventhrone Guard
10 Craventhrone Guard
10 Craventhrone Guard
5 Craventhrone Guard

How to Play Nighthaunt

Charge every turn, yo-yoing your deadly threats into the enemy. Don’t let up until their souls join yours!

For Nagash!

Twenty year Games Workshop Hobbyist, Gamer, and Writer. I love Necromunda, Horus Heresy, (40K), and Age of Sigmar (and Mordheim- let’s get a reboot of that!).

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