Ossiarch Bonereapers – Warhammer Age of Sigmar Guide

Who Are the Ossiarch Bonereapers?

The Ossiarch Bonereapers are a Death faction in Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Nagash’s army of purpose-built undead constructs. Each Ossiarch warrior is assembled from harvested bone and animated by a fused mass of bound souls, then given a single purpose, which is to serve Nagash’s empire with perfect, unwavering discipline.

They are not shambling corpses or mindless skeletons. The Bonereapers are an empire in their own right, led by Mortarchs and Mortisan heroes, and they demand a tithe of bones from every civilisation they meet. Pay the tithe, or be harvested.

What Are the Ossiarch Bonereapers Army Strengths?

Ossiarch Bonereapers are an elite, durable army. Most of their units combine good saves with solid melee output, and the faction has tools for repairing and rebuilding damaged units during the game, so they tend to win long, grinding fights over objectives.

They also have weaknesses. Much of the army is slow, and an elite force has fewer bodies than a horde army, so faster opponents can outmanoeuvre them or spread them too thin. Ossiarchs reward careful positioning and a plan for which objectives you will hold, rather than chasing every target.

Exact abilities, the faction’s battle traits and battle formations, and every points cost are set by the current Ossiarch Bonereapers battletome and the latest Battle Profiles, so check those for numbers before building a list.

Where Should Beginners Start?

If you’re starting an Ossiarch Bonereapers collection, these are the units that define the army:

• Mortek Guard: the faction’s core infantry, carrying nadirite blades or spears and shields. They form the defensive backbone of most armies and are the obvious first purchase.
• A Mortisan hero: the Mortisan Boneshaper, Soulmason and Soulreaper are the faction’s foot heroes. The Boneshaper in particular fits the army’s theme of repairing and rebuilding units.
• Kavalos Deathriders and a Liege-Kavalos: fast, hard-hitting heavy cavalry and the mounted hero who leads them, giving the army the speed it otherwise lacks.
• A big construct: the Gothizzar Harvester (a monstrous bone-harvesting construct) or the Mortek Crawler (the faction’s bone catapult) for heavier support. Note that the Bone-Tithe Nexus is faction terrain, not a war machine.

Under 4th Edition army building, each Hero leads a regiment of up to three other units, so a hero plus Mortek Guard and Deathriders is a natural first regiment. Our Ossiarch Bonereapers Spearhead guide covers the smaller Spearhead format, which is a good way to learn the faction before building a full 2,000-point army.

Ossiarch Bonereapers Lore and History

The Ossiarch Bonereapers are Nagash’s masterwork, an army of undead constructs designed to be the ultimate military force. Each warrior is precisely engineered from the bones of countless dead, animated by harvested souls, and given a singular purpose.

The architect of the Ossiarch legions is Katakros, Mortarch of the Necropolis, often described as the greatest military mind in the Mortal Realms. In life he was a conqueror of vast renown; in death Nagash raised him to command the Bonereapers, and he applies his genius to an army that never tires, never wavers and never disobeys. His Ossiarch Empire enforces the bone-tithe on every civilisation it encounters.

In the lore, the Bonereapers are organised into legions, each with its own character. The Mortis Praetorians are Katakros’s own legion, the Petrifex Elite are famed for their near-indestructible bone, the Stalliarch Lords favour cavalry and the Null Myriad resist hostile magic. On the battlefield, Mortek Guard form disciplined shield walls, Kavalos Deathriders provide heavy cavalry and Morghast serve as elite shock troops. In 4th Edition these legions are background and colour-scheme choices rather than separate rules subfactions.

What sets the Ossiarch Bonereapers apart from other Death factions is their order and sophistication. These are not mindless horrors but a functioning empire with administrators, artisans and enforcers, all made of bone. The Mortisan Boneshaper sculpts new warriors from harvested remains, while the Soulmason binds souls into constructs with arcane precision.

Ossiarch Bonereapers in the Current Meta

For the latest rankings and analysis, check our Age of Sigmar faction tier list, which we update based on tournament results and community feedback.

The Ossiarch Bonereapers are a disciplined, elite infantry faction that trades numbers for quality. Their faction rules have long been built around Relentless Discipline, a resource that fuels their own abilities. How that works in the current battletome, and how it interacts with the core command point system, is worth reading carefully in the current rules rather than relying on older guides, because it has changed between editions.

Ossiarch armies typically build around Mortek Guard holding objectives, supported by Kavalos Deathriders for mobile striking power and constructs such as the Gothizzar Harvester or Mortek Crawler. The faction rewards methodical players who enjoy a combined-arms approach where every unit has a specific job.

Collecting Ossiarch Bonereapers

The Spearhead box is the natural entry point: check our Ossiarch Bonereapers Spearhead guide for a breakdown of what you get and how to use it. Spearhead is also a good way to learn the faction’s mechanics before committing to a full army.

When expanding beyond your first box, focus on the units that define the faction’s playstyle. Mortek Guard are the core infantry choice, Kavalos Deathriders provide fast cavalry, and a Gothizzar Harvester adds a durable support construct. Katakros himself is an impressive centrepiece model.

Consider buying second-hand models or trading with other hobbyists to build your collection more affordably, and check our Age of Sigmar faction tier list before investing in expensive kits.

Painting Ossiarch Bonereapers

The Ossiarch Bonereapers’ sculpted bone armour needs a different approach from typical skeleton painting. Their bone should look crafted and polished rather than aged and weathered, so Wraithbone or Ushabti Bone with clean highlighting creates the right effect. Dark purple or dark blue cloth provides excellent contrast against the pale bone.

The geometric, angular sculpts respond well to drybrushing on bone textures, a dark wash such as Nuln Oil or a brown shade in the recesses, and edge highlighting on armour plates, which makes them good practice for painting clean lines. Contrast paints over a Wraithbone undercoat are a quick way to get large units of Mortek Guard on the table.

If you want to paint a particular legion, the Petrifex Elite suit a greyer, stonier bone and the Mortis Praetorians suit darker, more regal colours. Nadirite weapons are often given a dark, otherworldly glow. Check our guide on painting Ossiarch Bonereapers for full colour schemes.

Playing Ossiarch Bonereapers in 4th Edition

Ossiarch Bonereapers play unlike faster Age of Sigmar armies. Most games are won by holding objectives, and objective control in 4th Edition uses each model’s Control characteristic rather than a simple model count, so a durable block of Mortek Guard sitting on an objective is exactly what the army wants. Some general principles:

• Pick your objectives. Your units are tough but slow. Concentrate on the objectives you can hold and make your opponent come to you, rather than spreading too thin.
• Keep heroes near their regiments. Your Mortisan heroes and Liege-Kavalos support the units around them, so losing them early or leaving them out of position costs you more than their points.
• Use your hammers selectively. Deathriders, Morghast, Necropolis Stalkers or Immortis Guard should strike where they can win a fight or swing an objective, then let your durable units grind the opponent down.
• Plan for the double turn. From battle round 2, priority is rolled each round, so an opponent can take two turns in a row. Keep your important units protected and use reactive commands such as All-out Defence in your opponent’s turn.

New to the current rules? Our How to Play Age of Sigmar guide covers the basics of 4th Edition.

Budget Building Tips

Ossiarch Bonereapers have a compact, focused model range, which makes planning your purchases straightforward. Start with the Spearhead box, which gives you a playable core straight away.

Mortek Guard are the essential purchase, as they are the backbone of almost every Ossiarch army. For hero support, the Mortisan heroes are relatively affordable single models.

Your first significant investment beyond infantry should be either a Gothizzar Harvester for durable support or Morghast for airborne striking power. Treat Katakros as a long-term goal rather than an early purchase, since he is a large investment both in money and in points; the Arch-Kavalos Zandtos is a more affordable mounted hero option.

Related Armies

If you enjoy Ossiarch Bonereapers, you might also like these armies:

• Nighthaunt — Both serve Nagash’s grand designs as Death factions with very different playstyles.
• Soulblight Gravelords — Fellow Death faction built around vampiric leadership and skeleton and zombie hordes.
• Necrons — The closest Warhammer 40k equivalent, sharing the Bonereapers’ disciplined, undying warrior aesthetic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the Ossiarch Bonereapers?

The Ossiarch Bonereapers are Nagash’s elite army of constructed bone warriors in Age of Sigmar. Unlike mindless undead, each Bonereaper is a carefully crafted construct made from the bones of the fallen, animated by fragments of multiple souls.

Are Ossiarch Bonereapers good for beginners?

They are reasonably beginner-friendly. The army has a small, focused range, durable units that forgive mistakes, and a clear game plan of holding objectives. Their faction-specific Relentless Discipline rules add some resource management to learn on top of the core rules.

What are the strengths of Ossiarch Bonereapers?

Ossiarch Bonereapers are very durable, with good saves and ways to repair or rebuild damaged units. Mortek Guard are a sturdy core for holding objectives, and the army has strong cavalry and constructs to strike with.

What are the weaknesses of Ossiarch Bonereapers?

Ossiarch Bonereapers are slow-moving and can be outmanoeuvred, and as an elite army they have fewer models to cover objectives. Their heroes matter a lot to the units around them, so losing key heroes early hurts.

What is Relentless Discipline?

Relentless Discipline is the Ossiarch Bonereapers’ signature faction mechanic: a pool of discipline points the army generates and spends on its own abilities. Older editions had it replace the standard command abilities entirely; how it works now, and how it sits alongside the core command point system, is set out in the current battletome, so check that for the exact rules.

When were the Ossiarch Bonereapers released?

In 2019. They launched as a brand-new Death faction with their own battletome during Age of Sigmar’s second edition, introduced as Nagash’s newest army. The original range included Mortek Guard, Kavalos Deathriders, Katakros and the Mortisan heroes, and the faction has stayed part of the game through later editions.

What is the difference between Ossiarch Bonereapers and Soulblight skeletons?

Ossiarch Bonereapers are purpose-built constructs made from the bones of many dead and animated by composite souls, while the Soulblight Gravelords’ Deathrattle skeletons are raised individual corpses commanded by vampires and necromancers. On the tabletop, Ossiarchs are an elite, disciplined army, whereas Soulblight skeleton hordes rely on numbers and being raised again.

Related Content

• Ossiarch Bonereapers 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 Ossiarch Bonereapers — Colour Schemes Guide — painting guide for this faction
• How to Play Warhammer 40k — Complete Beginner’s Guide — beginner guide to Warhammer 40K