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Classic dwarfs are back in Age of Sigmar. Khazalite Holds is a new duardin army: shield walls, rune-forged warmachines, stone guardians from the tombs and a lot of long-held grudges. It was revealed at the Big Autumn Preview and arrives with an Army Set on Warhammer Day. Its battletome is shared with the Fyreslayers, which has caused a fair bit of debate. This guide covers the release, the rules, the new models and what it all means for existing Fyreslayer players.
Release date and price
- Revealed: Big Autumn Preview, 18 September 2026
- Army Set pre-order: Saturday 17 October 2026
- Release: Saturday 31 October 2026 (Warhammer Day)
- Price: £125 RRP for the Army Set
What’s in the Army Set
The box is a complete Spearhead force plus the battletome:
- Hjulda Drakkblud: the hero of the launch. She is searching the surface of the realms for lost karaks and her vanished clan.
- 10 Clanshields: the core shield-wall infantry.
- 3 Gholems of Gazul: animated tomb guardians woken by mournful rites. The kit also builds Gholems of Valaya.
- 1 Oathkeeper Cannon: the kit also builds a Stonebreaker Mortar.
- An exclusive gold-edged Battletome: Khazalite Holds, plus 53 warscroll cards.
That’s 14 models plus the book. A Spearhead box and battletome bought separately would normally come to about £135, so the Army Set is decent value. The only real complaint from reviewers is that it doesn’t include a generic Thyrnn hero.
Who are the Khazalite Holds?
The Khazalite Holds think of themselves as the truest duardin. They see themselves as keepers of the Ancestor Gods and the old traditions, which they believe their cousins have abandoned. The Kharadron are pragmatic traders and the Fyreslayers are mercenaries, but the Khazalite are traditionalists. They believe endurance and memory will eventually cleanse the realms of the Skaven. They are led by High Kyng Valankrom, crowned by Grungni himself and carried into war on a rune-driven War Throne.
If you remember the Dispossessed of early Age of Sigmar, or the dwarfs of the Old World, this is the army you’ve been waiting for. For the wider setting, see our guide to the Mortal Realms and the Fyreslayers lore deep dive.
Battle traits: grudges and vows
Grudge marks
The core mechanic. At the end of each turn you hand out up to three grudge marks. If your General was slain, you get all three. Otherwise you get one for each of these that happened (up to three):
- your General was damaged
- one of your units was destroyed
- one of your Kromdron units is contesting an objective that an enemy unit is also contesting
- one of your Grimmdron units charged and is still in combat but didn’t destroy anything
Grudge marks do nothing on their own. Lots of warscrolls get stronger when a unit carries one. A unit loses a grudge mark each time it Retreats, so the army rewards holding the line. You also gain a mark when an enemy takes an objective in your territory, and once per turn a Hero can grant a temporary one to a nearby unit in your Hero phase.
Gazul, Remember the Fallen
When half of a unit has been slain, the survivors get +1 Attack in melee.
Ancestral Vows
Five once-per-battle abilities, used in the Hero phase, and only one can be used per battle round. Several of them affect up to three units. They cover healing, redeploying, reducing enemy Rend, improving Wound rolls and boosting casting and chanting.
Battle formations
- War Callers: enemy units engaged with your Khazalite units have lower control scores.
- Hearthsworn Defenders: -1 to Hit against your units from ranged attacks while they’re in friendly territory or contesting objectives.
- Unyielding Anvil: enemies pile in a shorter distance.
- Wayfarer Nomads: re-roll run and charge rolls for units more than 6″ from other friendly units.
Heroic traits, artefacts, spells and prayers
Standout heroic traits include Innate Resonance (turns a hero into a Wizard (1), or a Wizard (1) into a Wizard (2), and enemy Manifestations within 12″ Strike Last), Sworn to Vengeance (melee heroes gain Attacks as the battle goes on) and Long of Beard or Braid (+3 dice for nearby rallies).
Artefacts include Hearthflares (+5 control score for nearby units on objectives), the Flamescale Rune Cloak (-1 to Hit against the bearer if it didn’t charge) and a Deep-Earth Runic Weapon that boosts Rend.
Magic is runic. The two spell lores, Reverberation of the Runes and Resonance of the Runes, include Rune of Sanctuary, which hides nearby friendly units from enemies more than 12″ away, and Rune of Warding, which cancels enemy critical hits. Prayers come from the Ancestor God Recitations to Valaya, Gazul and Grimnir. The only Priests in the book are Fyreslayers.
Key units
- Hjulda Drakkblud: a strong melee hero. She marks an enemy unit so friendly units can re-roll charges against it, and buffs nearby units’ Hit rolls.
- Clanshields: 3+ save, worsen incoming Rend by 1 while contesting objectives, +1 to Wound with a grudge mark. The anvil of the army.
- Oathkeeper Cannon: two 24″ shots at Rend 2 and D3+2 damage, with Crit (2 Hits) when it carries a grudge mark.
- Stonebreaker Mortar: longer range, five lighter shots, built to thin out big infantry units.
- Gholems of Gazul / Valaya: Gazul hammers cut through both ward and armour saves. Valaya shield-bearers pass on grudge marks when they die and can inflict Strike Last.
- High Kyng Valankrom and the Thyrnn on Warthrone: support centrepieces. They hand out grudge marks and movement buffs, and can carry a nearby unit forward.
- Also coming: Runewrights, Clangunners (thrundok rifles or shotcannons), Valayan Guardians and Gotrek Gurnisson, who has 8 base Attacks (10 against Heroes and Monsters) and a 3+ ward.
What happens to the Fyreslayers?
This is the controversial part. The Fyreslayers don’t get their own battletome any more. They now live inside Battletome: Khazalite Holds, as its Grimmdron units. You can still field them in three ways:
- A pure Fyreslayer army chosen from the Khazalite book.
- The Fyrd of Fyrepeak Army of Renown, which uses once-per-battle Ur-gold Runes.
- Alongside Khazalite units in a combined duardin army.
The units staying in the book are Ormyr and Ashtongue (new), the Auric Runefather, Runeson, Runesmiter and Flamekeeper, the Grimhold Exile, Vulkyn Flameseekers, Auric Hearthguard and Hearthguard Berzerkers. Several Fyreslayer profiles have been dropped from the book and will move to Legends in about a year. Their rules are in a free supplement on Warhammer Community until then. If you collected those units, it’s worth checking that supplement. Our Fyreslayers army guide and Fyreslayers Spearhead guide cover the Fyreslayers range, including what the change means for the Saga Axeband box and the new Magmic Fyrd Spearhead.
Spearheads and Armies of Renown
Two Spearhead forces: Drakkblud’s Clanguard (the Army Set) and Magmic Fyrd (a Runefather on Magmadroth, Runesmiter, Vulkyn Flameseekers and Auric Hearthguard).
Armies and Regiments of Renown:
– Valankrom’s War Throng: a non-Fyreslayer army with a “wrongdoer” mechanic, and a 5+ ward for Gholems near Valankrom.
– Fyrd of Fyrepeak: the pure Fyreslayer option.
– Throngankor Alliance: Khazalite, Fyreslayers and Kharadron together. Khazalite units can even ride Kharadron Skyvessels.
– Fjori’s Vengeance and Thengin’s Grudgesettlers: Regiments of Renown that any Order army can take.
Verdict
Reviewers are very positive about the miniatures, the Old World dwarf look and how the grudge and vow rules work together. After years of the Dispossessed being ignored, classic duardin finally have a proper army. The trimming of Fyreslayer warscrolls is the one sore point. Still, a combined duardin book with three ways to play is a reasonable compromise. New to Age of Sigmar? Start with how to play Age of Sigmar.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Khazalite Holds release date?
The Army Set went up for pre-order on 17 October 2026 and releases on Warhammer Day, Saturday 31 October 2026.
What’s in the Khazalite Holds Army Set?
Hjulda Drakkblud, 10 Clanshields, 3 Gholems of Gazul (or Valaya), an Oathkeeper Cannon (or Stonebreaker Mortar), an exclusive-cover battletome and 53 warscroll cards, for £125.
Are Fyreslayers getting squatted?
Not entirely. They’re folded into the Khazalite Holds battletome and are still playable on their own, but several Fyreslayer warscrolls move to Legends in about a year.
How do grudge marks work?
At the end of each turn you assign up to three grudge marks based on what happened to your army. Units with marks get warscroll bonuses, and a unit loses a mark each time it Retreats.
Are the Khazalite Holds the same as the old Dispossessed?
They’re the spiritual successor rather than the same army. The Dispossessed were the classic, Old World-style duardin of early Age of Sigmar, who were gradually squeezed out of the range. Khazalite Holds bring that look back with new models, shield walls, warmachines and a grudge-based rules set, so fans of the Dispossessed finally have a fully supported army again.
How do Khazalite Holds play on the table?
They’re a tough, defensive army that rewards holding ground. Clanshields anchor objectives with a 3+ save, the Oathkeeper Cannon and Stonebreaker Mortar add long-range firepower, and grudge marks make units hit harder as the battle goes against you. Units lose a mark each time they Retreat, so the army wants to stand firm rather than manoeuvre.
What Grand Alliance are the Khazalite Holds in?
Order. The Khazalite Holds sit alongside the other duardin armies, the Fyreslayers and Kharadron Overlords, in the Grand Alliance of Order. That’s why the Throngankor Alliance Army of Renown can combine all three, and why their Regiments of Renown, Fjori’s Vengeance and Thengin’s Grudgesettlers, can be taken by any Order army.