The Blades of Khorne are a Chaos faction in Warhammer Age of Sigmar. As followers of the Blood God Khorne, one of the five major Chaos gods, they who embody his rage and bloodlust. They thrive on battle and slaughter with only the strongest surviving, collecting the skulls of their enemies to pile as high as mountains.
There are a variety of different units in this army to fight with – Blood Warriors, Mighty Khornate champions, and Daemon Engines.
What Are Blades of Khorne Army Strengths?
This army type is a pretty good choice for a beginner to the game as they can delve out large amounts of damage and get bonuses from units killing/being killed. Experienced players can utilise all the various unit abilities to control a game and help the army last longer in a fight than you’d expect. This army also contains one of the strongest characters in the game – Skarbrand the Exiled One. A greater Daemon with huge power – opponents won’t be happy to see Skarbrand take the field, we assure you.
However, there is a downside. Blades of Khorne have limited ranged capabilities, which does mean they can struggle against highly mobile or ranged armies so do bear this in mind when setting up. You’ll need to get close to the opponent, so this makes strategic positioning on the battlefield very important.
Where Should Beginners Start?
Blades of Khorne can be a good starter army for beginners due to the bonuses on killing enemy units or on your units being killed. As you understand the units capabilities even more, you’ll be able to control games with ease. In terms of starter unites, we’d recommend the following:
- Blood Warriors: These units often form the base of most Blades of Khorne armies – they are durable infantry models that are good for holding objectives whilst also dealing out decent damage in combat.
- Bloodletters: These miniatures are great at overwhelming your opponents as they are speedy and have a high attack output.
- Bloodthirster: You’ll probably want a couple of these. They are powerful Greater Daemon, which provides great combat power. Get a Skarbrand.
- Khornate Characters (e.g., Bloodsecrator or Skulltaker): You can add a hero character to your army and gain some decent buffs as a nice bonus.
How To Paint Blades of Khorne
You can paint some epic Blades of Khorne armies with the right setup. Below we’ll discuss some simple painting schemes that should help get going with this army.
Color Scheme Ideas
- Blood God Scheme: Get a base coat of deep red. This is for the skin of your Bloodletters and Blood Warriors. Lighter reds can be useful for further highlighting. Their armor and weapons usually look good with dark metallics colours like black or gunmetal. You’ll also need a white available for skulls, teeth, and any other accent colours to create a striking contrast against the general bloody red look of these scheme.
- Fiery Inferno: The idea of this colour scheme is to create a fiery look. You’ll need a strong orange or bright yellow for the base coat for the skin and armor. We’d then recommend using darker reds and blacks to add shading. You can then bring in white or light yellow to mimic flames. This scheme, if you don’t mind us saying, looks pretty badass.
- Dark Ritual Theme: For a more darker and more sinister look, use a dark gray or black base coat for the model. Then add deep reds or purples for armor and accents. You can set this off with nice highlights using metallics or bright colors to create an eerie contrast. You can add additional details like glowing eyes or runes to make them stand out even more. Create a fun mystical and magical effect.
Painting Techniques
Getting the painting techniques right for your Blades of Khorne army will mean they look polished and stylish as they crush their way through the battlefield. We have compiled the core techniques below.
- Base Coating: A strong base coat is basically what will set out the primary colors of your models. Usually, with Blades of Khorne, this will be some kind of red for skin and armor. This reflect Khorne’s themes of blood and fury.
- Drybrushing: This will be useful in highlighting textures, especially on armor and weapons. Using this technique over raised areas with a lighter shade base color will mean you can create a nice effect for muscle definition – great for unites like Blood Warriors or for the edges of weapons.
- Washes: Adding washes is great for shadows and just generally adding a bit of visual depth to your minatures. A dark wash, such as Nuln Oil, is probably a good bet for things like the creases in armor or the recesses of the skin. We’ve found this definitely adds to a kind of battleworn look for models.
- Edge Highlighting: This technique is really great at adding details on armor and weapons. If you add a lighter color along the edges of your models, then it creates sharp contrast against the deeper colours. As Blood of Khorne models are often dark and brooding in their look, these can be a nice visual.
- Contrast Paints: These are perfect for achieving vibrant results quickly. Use contrast paints to cover large areas, such as the skin of Bloodletters or the armor of Blood Warriors. Their self-shading properties allow for depth without extensive layering, making it easier for beginners to achieve impressive results while emphasizing the rugged features and chaotic essence of the Blades of Khorne.
