Part of our Orruk Warclans hub: every Orruk Warclans guide, lore page and painting tutorial in one place. Browse every Combat Patrol & Spearhead guide.
The Kruleboyz Spearhead is the Swampskulka Gang, sold as Spearhead: Orruk Warclans. It’s a sneaky, shooty band of swamp orruks led by a Killaboss on a Great Gnashtoof, with crossbows, a giant bolt-thrower and a block of Gutrippaz to hold the line. It suits players who like a mix of shooting and fighting, and who enjoy dirty tricks more than straight brawls.
The Kruleboyz are one of two Orruk armies in the Orruk Warclans battletome, alongside the Ironjawz. If you’re trying to choose between them, see our Kruleboyz vs Ironjawz Spearhead comparison. New to Spearhead altogether? Start with our Age of Sigmar Spearhead guide.
What’s in the Kruleboyz Spearhead?
The box launched with Age of Sigmar 4th Edition in 2024 and contains 16 plastic miniatures:
| Unit | Models | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Killaboss on Great Gnashtoof | 1 | General. A fast, hard-hitting cavalry hero. |
| Murknob with Belcha-banna | 1 | Hero who damages everything around him in combat and controls objectives well. |
| Man-skewer Boltboyz | 3 | Long-range crossbow snipers. |
| Gutrippaz | 10 (two units of 5) | Your core infantry for holding objectives. |
| Beast-skewer Killbow | 1 | A war machine that fires huge bolts, deadly against monsters. |
There’s a good spread here: two heroes, two shooting units and a solid block of infantry. That variety is what makes the Kruleboyz Spearhead one of the more tactical forces to learn with. The Spearhead uses every model in the box, so there’s nothing left over and nothing extra to buy.
The Spearhead Rules
Each Spearhead force has a battle trait, a choice of two regiment abilities and four enhancements for your general. Here’s how the Swampskulka Gang’s work, in plain English. Games Workshop has updated this Spearhead’s rules since release, so always check the latest free download on Warhammer Community.
Battle trait: Kruleboyz Waaagh!
Once per battle, in any combat phase, your Killaboss and one nearby friendly unit get to strike first. Save it for the big fight, when you really need your heaviest hitters to swing before the enemy does.
Regiment abilities (pick one)
- Covered in Mud: at the start of the battle, pick a unit. For the rest of the battle, enemies can’t see it from more than 12″ away. This is a superb way to protect your Boltboyz or Killbow from enemy shooting.
- Noisy Racket: in the first battle round, enemy units find it harder to wound. It helps you survive an aggressive opening.
For most beginners, Covered in Mud is the better choice. Hiding your best shooters for the whole game is huge.
Enhancements (pick one for your Killaboss)
- Egomaniak: when the Killaboss takes damage, you can sometimes pass it to a nearby friendly unit instead.
- Kunnin’ Plan: a nearby unit can retreat from combat without taking damage and still shoot or charge later in the turn.
- Mork’s Eye Pebble: once per battle, nearby units get a ward save against enemy shooting in the next shooting phase.
- Eye-biter Ash: once per battle, makes an enemy unit fighting your general less accurate, and on a good roll it lasts for the rest of the battle.
Egomaniak is an easy, always-on pick that keeps your general alive. Kunnin’ Plan is great once you’re comfortable moving units in and out of fights.
What Each Unit Does
Killaboss on Great Gnashtoof
Your general rides a huge swamp beast and is the toughest, fastest model in the force. He hits hard in combat, and both he and his mount can cause extra damage on lucky rolls. His All Part of Da Plan ability boosts the objective control of a nearby unit until your next turn, so use it on whichever unit is sitting on the most important objective.
Murknob with Belcha-banna
A hero on foot carrying a banner that belches swamp gas. In combat, he can damage every enemy unit he’s fighting, which makes him great at finishing off weakened units. He also has a high control score for a single model, so he’s a good objective holder.
Man-skewer Boltboyz
Three crossbow-armed orruks who are at their best when they stand still: they get a bonus to hit if they haven’t moved that turn. Find them a spot with good sightlines, ideally protected by Covered in Mud, and pick off enemy heroes and elite units.
Gutrippaz
Two units of five. They aren’t as tough as Ironjawz, but they’re cheap, numerous and annoying to fight, because their Scare Taktikz ability can make enemy non-hero attacks against them less accurate. Use them to hold objectives and screen your shooters.
Beast-skewer Killbow
A giant bolt-thrower. It doesn’t fire many shots, but each bolt hits very hard, and it deals maximum damage against monsters. Point it at the biggest thing your opponent owns.
How to Play the Kruleboyz Spearhead
The Kruleboyz plan is to shoot first, fight on your terms and win the objective game. You’re not as tough as most melee armies, so don’t get dragged into a slugging match unless you’re winning it.
Deployment
Put the Boltboyz and Killbow somewhere with long sightlines, behind your Gutrippaz. If you picked Covered in Mud, use it on whichever shooting unit your opponent can most easily reach. Keep the Killaboss central so he can respond to threats on either flank.
Turn 1
Move the Gutrippaz onto your nearby objectives. Leave the Boltboyz and Killbow still so they get their best shooting. Target enemy heroes and monsters first.
Turn 2
Keep shooting. Look for a charge with the Killaboss and Murknob against a weakened or isolated enemy unit. If the enemy has closed in, use the Gutrippaz to tie them up. Their Scare Taktikz ability makes them harder to clear than they look.
Turns 3 and 4
By now the game is about objectives. Use All Part of Da Plan on a contested objective, keep the Murknob on another, and save the Kruleboyz Waaagh! for the combat that decides the game.
Common mistakes
- Moving the Boltboyz every turn. They shoot much better when they stand still.
- Charging the Gutrippaz into elite units. They’re there to hold ground, not to win big fights.
- Wasting the Killbow on infantry. It’s far better against monsters and big heroes.
- Using the Waaagh! too early. It’s once per battle. Wait for the fight that matters.
Building and Painting Notes
Kruleboyz are full of swampy texture: leathery green skin, rusty metal, wooden shields and crocodile-hide trophies. Contrast or Speedpaint greens over a light undercoat give great skin quickly. Rusty, washed-down metal and muddy bases with a little gloss “swamp water” really sell the look. The Killaboss’s Gnashtoof and the Killbow have large surfaces that respond well to a basecoat, wash and drybrush.
For colour schemes and step-by-step advice, see our Orruk Warclans painting guide.
Expanding Beyond Spearhead
Every model in the box is a full Age of Sigmar unit, so your Spearhead becomes the core of a bigger Kruleboyz army. Good next purchases:
- More Gutrippaz: cheap, sturdy-enough infantry for holding objectives.
- A Swampcalla Shaman: adds magic to the army.
- Hobgrot Slittaz: cheap screening units to protect your shooters.
- A second Spearhead box: doubles up on Boltboyz, Killbows and heroes, and gives you a second Gnashtoof.
Before you buy lots of extra kits, check current points in our Age of Sigmar points guide and plan your list with our army builder tools roundup. For lore and faction overviews, visit our Orruk Warclans army hub.
Where to Buy the Box
If you want the Kruleboyz Spearhead box covered in this guide, it is listed on Amazon US through third-party sellers. Check that the listing still shows the same box before you buy, since stock and sellers change.
Price details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.As an Amazon Associate, Warhammer Guild earns from qualifying purchases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Kruleboyz Spearhead good for beginners?
Yes. It teaches you a bit of everything: shooting, combat, heroes and objective control. It’s slightly harder to play than a straight melee force, because positioning your shooters matters, but that makes it a great learning army.
Is this the same as the Orruk Warclans Spearhead?
Yes. The box is sold as Spearhead: Orruk Warclans, and the force inside is the Kruleboyz Swampskulka Gang. The Ironjawz have a separate box, the Ironjawz Bigmob. See our Ironjawz Spearhead guide.
Can I combine Kruleboyz and Ironjawz?
Not in Spearhead, where each box is its own force. In full games they are separate armies in the same battletome, and the book includes an Army of Renown, Da Big Waaagh!, for players who want to mix both.
Is there a Marshcrawla Sloggoth in the box?
No. Some older guides list one, but the current Kruleboyz Spearhead doesn’t include it. The war machine in the box is the Beast-skewer Killbow.
Which regiment ability should I pick?
Start with Covered in Mud and use it on your Boltboyz or Killbow. Keeping your best shooters safe all game is worth more than the one-turn protection of Noisy Racket.
What do I need besides the box to play Kruleboyz Spearhead?
Only the free rules, some dice, a tape measure and somewhere to play. The box uses every model it contains, and the current Spearhead rules for the Swampskulka Gang are a free download on Warhammer Community. You also need an opponent’s Spearhead force and a Spearhead battlefield, which is half the size of a standard Age of Sigmar table.
Can I use the Kruleboyz Spearhead models in 1,000 or 2,000-point games?
Yes. Every model in the box is a full Age of Sigmar unit with its own warscroll, so the Killaboss, Murknob, Boltboyz, Gutrippaz and Killbow all go straight into a bigger Kruleboyz army. Spearhead’s battle trait, regiment abilities and enhancements don’t carry over, though, so in full games you use the Orruk Warclans battletome rules and current points instead.