Fyreslayers – Warhammer Age of Sigmar Guide

The Fyreslayers are a small, elite Age of Sigmar army of duardin berserkers who fight for gold. They go to war almost bare-chested, protected by the ur-gold runes hammered into their flesh, and the biggest of them ride fire-breathing Magmadroths. This guide covers who they are, how they play in Age of Sigmar 4th Edition, what has changed since they were folded into Battletome: Khazalite Holds in October 2026, and where to start collecting.

Who Are the Fyreslayers?

The Fyreslayers are a faction of duardin devoted to Grimnir, their war god, and to recovering ur-gold, the scattered fragments of his divine essence. They fight as mercenaries for whoever can pay them in gold, because every nugget brings them closer to their goal.

Each Fyreslayer belongs to a lodge, a clan-hold ruled by an Auric Runefather and built around its magma-forge temple. Lodges have deep traditions and a fierce sense of kinship, and their warriors are known for their fiery tempers and their skill in close combat. Rather than heavy armour, they rely on the runes in their skin, their axes and the fury that Grimnir’s fire gives them.

Fyreslayers Lore and History

The Fyreslayers’ quest is to find and collect ur-gold — fragments of their shattered god, Grimnir. In the Age of Myth, Grimnir fought the godbeast Vulcatrix in a titanic battle that destroyed both combatants, scattering Grimnir’s divine essence across the Mortal Realms as ur-gold. The Fyreslayers devote their entire civilisation to recovering these precious fragments, which they hammer into runes and press into their own flesh.

Each lodge’s Zharrgrim priesthood oversees the sacred forging of ur-gold runes. When a warrior has a rune hammered into his skin, it burns with divine fire, granting strength, resilience and fury. The more runes a warrior bears, the more powerful he becomes. Auric Runefathers, their Runesons and the Zharrgrim priests lead their lodges in an endless cycle of mercenary contracts, fighting for whoever can pay in gold.

The Fyreslayers are renowned across the Mortal Realms as fearless mercenaries — reliable as long as the gold keeps flowing, and devastating in close combat. Vulkite Berzerkers form howling mobs of rune-fuelled warriors, Hearthguard Berzerkers serve as elite bodyguards, and the lodge’s greatest heroes ride Magmadroths, enormous fire-breathing beasts that dwell in volcanic depths.

Their mercenary nature creates plenty of narrative tension: lodges have taken gold from employers outside the Grand Alliance of Order, which has led to betrayals and uneasy alliances in the setting. Yet beneath the mercenary exterior lies a deeply spiritual people who believe that by gathering ur-gold they can one day bring their god back. For much more on this, see our Fyreslayers lore deep dive.

Fyreslayers Rules in 2026: the Khazalite Holds Change

On 31 October 2026 the Fyreslayers stopped having a battletome of their own. They now share Battletome: Khazalite Holds with the new traditionalist duardin army. You can still field them in three ways:

• A pure Fyreslayer army chosen from the Khazalite Holds book.
• The Fyrd of Fyrepeak Army of Renown, which keeps the once-per-battle ur-gold runes.
• Alongside Khazalite units in a combined duardin army.

Warhammer Community has confirmed that several older warscrolls — the Vulkite Berzerkers, Battlesmith, Auric Runemaster, Doomseeker and Grimwrath Berzerker — are not in the Khazalite book. They remain usable at events for about a year after the book’s release, then move to Warhammer Legends. The units that stay include the Auric Runefather, Runeson, Runesmiter and Flamekeeper, Hearthguard Berzerkers, Auric Hearthguard, Vulkyn Flameseekers and the new Ormyr and Ashtongue. Check the current battletome, the Warhammer Age of Sigmar app and the latest Battle Profiles for exact warscrolls and points.

What Are the Fyreslayers Army Strengths?

The Fyreslayers are a resilient, hard-hitting melee army with a low model count.

• Melee punch: Hearthguard Berzerkers and the Magmadroth riders hit very hard, and Vulkyn Flameseekers are built to take on enemy monsters.
• Durability for their size: elite infantry and Magmadroths make the army tough to shift from objectives.
• Prayers: the Runesmiter and Flamekeeper are Priests, giving the army access to prayers rather than spells.
• Ur-gold runes: in the Fyrd of Fyrepeak, each rune can be activated once per battle, and only one per battle round, so you choose the perfect moment for a big push.

The weaknesses are just as clear. Fyreslayers are slow on foot and have very little shooting (Auric Hearthguard and Magmadroth fire breath are the main exceptions), so they can struggle against fast or ranged armies that refuse to engage on their terms. A small army also feels every lost unit.

Where Should Beginners Start?

If you’re starting a Fyreslayers collection, these are the key models:

• Auric Runefather on Magmadroth: your general and centrepiece. It stays in the new book, and the same Magmadroth kit builds other riders.
• Hearthguard Berzerkers and Auric Hearthguard: one kit builds either, and both stay in the Khazalite book. Berzerkers are your anvils on objectives; Auric Hearthguard add a little ranged support.
• Auric Runesmiter: a Priest who adds prayers and can travel underground with his regiment to pop up elsewhere on the battlefield.
• Vulkyn Flameseekers: young Magmadroth riders that are becoming the army’s core now the Vulkites are on their way out.

The Spearhead: Fyreslayers box is great value for getting playing quickly, but bear in mind its Vulkite Berzerkers and Battlesmith have a limited event life left. For complete lists, see our Fyreslayers army list guide.

Collecting Fyreslayers

The Spearhead format is a good way to learn the faction’s mechanics before committing to a full 2,000-point army. There are now two Fyreslayer Spearhead forces: the original Saga Axeband box and the newer Magmic Fyrd (a Runefather on Magmadroth, Runesmiter, Vulkyn Flameseekers and Auric Hearthguard), which uses only units that stay in the new book.

When expanding, focus on the units that define the faction’s playstyle: Hearthguard as the infantry core, Vulkyn Flameseekers for monster-hunting and a Magmadroth rider as your hammer. Consider buying second-hand models or trading with other hobbyists to keep costs down, and check our Age of Sigmar faction tier list to see how the faction is performing before investing in expensive kits.

Painting Fyreslayers

Fyreslayers are defined by two painting elements: orange mohawks and beards, and glowing ur-gold runes on lots of exposed skin. Warm flesh tones (Bugman’s Glow layered up to Cadian Fleshtone) work well for the skin, and the ur-gold should look warm and bright — Yriel Yellow with a wash of Fuegan Orange gives a good glow.

The hair is crucial to the Fyreslayer look: bright orange with yellow highlights, swept up into dramatic crests. Magmadroths are superb centrepiece models, with fiery scales that blend from dark reds through oranges to bright yellows. The compact range means you can settle on a consistent recipe quickly. See our guide on painting Fyreslayers for full colour schemes, rune techniques and Magmadroth tutorials.

Playing Fyreslayers on the Tabletop

A few principles hold whichever version of the army you use:

• Plan your runes. If you play the Fyrd of Fyrepeak, each ur-gold rune works once per battle and you can only use one per battle round. Work out roughly which rune you want in which round before the game, saving the damage runes for the turn of the big clash and the defensive ones for when you need to hold on.
• Lead with the Magmadroths. They are your toughest models and breathe fire at close range. Let them take the first hit so your infantry can counter-charge.
• Hold the middle. Fyreslayers are slow on foot, so don’t chase fast armies around the board. Take the central objectives and make the enemy come to you — in 4th Edition objectives are won with the Control characteristic, so tough units sitting on them matter.
• Keep the Priests close. Runesmiters and Flamekeepers need to be near the units their prayers support.
• Use underground deployment. A foot Runesmiter’s regiment can arrive from below, which is the easiest way for a slow army to reach a far objective.

Exact battle traits, formations, enhancements and points change with each battletome and Battle Profiles update, so check the current Khazalite Holds rules in the Warhammer Age of Sigmar app before an event.

Related Armies

If you enjoy Fyreslayers, you might also like these armies:

• Kharadron Overlords — Fellow Duardin faction — the Fyreslayers fight with fire while the Kharadron rule the skies.
• Cities of Sigmar — Fyreslayer lodges frequently ally with the Cities of Sigmar in defence of Order.
• Salamanders — The Salamanders are the Warhammer 40k equivalent, sharing the Fyreslayers’ mastery of flame and forge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the Fyreslayers?

The Fyreslayers are fanatical Duardin warriors who worship Grimnir, their god who shattered fighting the godbeast Vulcatrix. They hammer fragments of Grimnir’s divine essence (ur-gold) into their flesh, granting them supernatural strength and fiery resilience.

Are Fyreslayers good for beginners?

Yes. Fyreslayers have a simple, aggressive melee playstyle and a low model count, so they’re quick to build and paint. The main thing to know is that they now share the Khazalite Holds battletome, and some older units are heading to Legends, so check which units stay before you buy.

What are the strengths of Fyreslayers?

Strong melee from Hearthguard Berzerkers and the Magmadroth riders, good durability for a small army, Priests with prayers, and — in the Fyrd of Fyrepeak — once-per-battle ur-gold runes that let you time a decisive push.

What are the weaknesses of Fyreslayers?

Fyreslayers have very little ranged capability and a fairly small range of units. They are slow on foot and can struggle against armies that avoid melee or out-manoeuvre them.

What is ur-gold?

Ur-gold is the divine essence of Grimnir scattered across the Mortal Realms when he died fighting Vulcatrix. Fyreslayers hammer it into runes in their flesh, gaining supernatural power. The quest for ur-gold drives Fyreslayer lodges to fight as mercenaries across the realms.

What is a Magmadroth?

A Magmadroth is a huge, fire-breathing reptilian beast that lives in the volcanic depths of the Mortal Realms. Its blood burns like molten rock. Fyreslayer lodges tame and breed them as war-mounts, and Auric Runefathers, Runesons and Runesmiters ride them into battle. A Magmadroth acts as the army’s monster and centrepiece, adding claws, bites and gouts of flame to its rider’s attacks.

Is Gotrek a Fyreslayer?

No. Gotrek Gurnisson is a Slayer from the World-that-Was, the old Warhammer world, who survived into the Mortal Realms. Hammered into his chest is a master rune of Grimnir, making him a unique and unpredictable figure to the Fyreslayers. Some lodges see him as a sign of their god and others as a threat. He fights alongside them only when it suits him.

Who leads a Fyreslayer lodge?

Each lodge is ruled by an Auric Runefather, the lodge’s king and its most rune-laden warrior. His sons, the Auric Runesons, command in battle and compete to succeed him. The Zharrgrim priesthood, led by Runemasters and Runesmiters, oversees the forging of ur-gold runes, and Battlesmiths carry the lodge’s sacred icon of Grimnir. Well-known lodges include the Vostarg, Greyfyrd, Hermdar and Lofnir.

Do Fyreslayers still have their own battletome?

No. Since 31 October 2026 the Fyreslayers have been part of Battletome: Khazalite Holds. You can still play a pure Fyreslayer army from that book or use the Fyrd of Fyrepeak Army of Renown. See our Khazalite Holds guide for details.

Related Content

• Fyreslayers Spearhead — Box Review & Guide — Spearhead guide for this faction
• All Age of Sigmar Factions Ranked — Tier List — tier rankings of all Age of Sigmar factions
• How to Paint Fyreslayers — Colour Schemes Guide — painting guide for this faction
• How to Play Warhammer 40k — Complete Beginner’s Guide — beginner guide to Warhammer 40K