The Blades of Khorne are a Chaos faction in Warhammer Age of Sigmar. They follow Khorne, the Blood God, and embody his rage and bloodlust. They live for battle and slaughter, and collect the skulls of their enemies to pile at the foot of his throne.
The army combines two halves: the daemons of Khorne, from Bloodletters up to the towering Bloodthirsters, and the mortal Bloodbound, from Blood Warriors to Mighty Lords of Khorne. It also has daemonic war machines such as the Skull Cannon.
What Are Blades of Khorne Army Strengths?
Blades of Khorne are a straightforward melee army, which makes them a good choice for beginners. Their army rule, the Blood Tithe, rewards you as units die on either side, so even losing models helps. Experienced players can get a lot more from the faction by timing Blood Tithe rewards and Slaughterpriest prayers well. The army also has some of the most famous greater daemons in the game, including the Bloodthirsters and Skarbrand the Exiled One.
The downside: Blades of Khorne have very limited shooting and no wizards. They need to get into combat to do their job, so they can struggle against fast or shooting-heavy armies. Positioning and using terrain to advance safely matter a lot.
Where Should Beginners Start?
Blades of Khorne are a forgiving first army: the plan is simple (get stuck in), and the Blood Tithe softens the blow of losing units. As you learn the units, you’ll find more ways to control the game. Good starter units include:
- Blood Warriors: Tough, heavily armoured infantry that form the core of many armies. They’re good at holding objectives and still hit hard in combat.
- Bloodletters: Daemon infantry with lots of attacks. They’re good at swarming objectives and overwhelming enemy units.
- Bloodthirster: Khorne’s greater daemons and the army’s big centrepiece models. They’re expensive, so build a core of infantry and heroes first and add one once you know how the army plays. Skarbrand is a powerful but unpredictable alternative that rewards experience.
- Heroes such as the Slaughterpriest, Bloodsecrator or Skulltaker: Heroes bring prayers and buffs that make the rest of the army much more effective. A Slaughterpriest is a sensible first hero.
The Spearhead box is the easiest way to get a playable mix of these. See our Blades of Khorne Spearhead guide.
Blades of Khorne Lore and History
The Blades of Khorne are the mortal and daemonic servants of Khorne, the Blood God, often called the mightiest of the Chaos Gods. In the world-that-was, Khorne’s followers were among the most feared warriors in existence, and that legacy continued into the Mortal Realms. During the Age of Chaos, Khorne’s hosts carved a bloody path across the realms, toppling kingdoms and drowning nations in gore.
The faction includes both the daemon legions (Bloodletters, Bloodthirsters, Flesh Hounds and more) and the mortal devotees who earn the Blood God’s favour through endless slaughter. Bloodbound warbands, led by Mighty Lords of Khorne, roam the realms looking for worthy skulls to offer their patron. Every kill is an act of worship.
The Bloodbound play a central role in the story of the Age of Sigmar. When Sigmar launched the Realmgate Wars, the first Stormcast Eternals to strike landed in Aqshy, the Realm of Fire. There Vandus Hammerhand and the Hammers of Sigmar clashed with the Goretide, led by the Mighty Lord of Khorne Korghos Khul. This rivalry between Khorne’s champions and Sigmar’s chosen warriors runs through much of the Age of Sigmar story.
Khorne cares not where the blood flows from, only that it flows. That philosophy drives his followers to attack relentlessly and never retreat or negotiate. In the current era, the Blades of Khorne remain one of the most aggressive factions in Age of Sigmar.
Blades of Khorne in the Current Meta
For current rankings, check our Age of Sigmar faction tier list, which we update based on tournament results.
Blades of Khorne reward players who commit to the assault. The Blood Tithe builds up as units on either side are destroyed, so the army tends to get stronger as the game goes on. Because the army relies on melee, it can struggle against armies that keep their distance and shoot.
Successful Khorne lists usually mix fast units that can close the gap quickly with Priests for prayers. The key skill is managing your aggression: knowing when to throw units forward and when to hold objectives instead. Exact warscrolls, Blood Tithe rewards and points change with battletome and Battle Profile updates, so check the current battletome and the official Battle Profiles before building a competitive list.
Collecting Blades of Khorne
The Blades of Khorne Spearhead box is the best starting point. Our Blades of Khorne Spearhead guide breaks down what you get and how to use it. Spearhead is also a good way to learn the faction before building a full 2,000-point army. For full lists, see our Blades of Khorne army list guide.
When you expand, focus on the units that define the army. Blood Warriors and Bloodletters are the core infantry, Slaughterpriests bring prayers, and a Bloodthirster makes a great centrepiece.
Second-hand models and trades can make collecting cheaper, and many local stores run starter deals. Check our Age of Sigmar faction tier list before buying expensive kits if you plan to play competitively.
Painting Blades of Khorne
The classic Khorne look is rich reds, brass and black. Base armour and cloth in Khorne Red, layer with Wazdakka Red, and paint the brass with Balthasar Gold. Bone-white skulls and teeth make a strong contrast against all that red. On daemons, Blood for the Blood God over lighter reds gives a wet, glistening finish.
For a quick tabletop standard, prime with Wraithbone and apply Flesh Tearers Red Contrast to daemon skin and armour, then pick out the metallics. A Nuln Oil wash in the recesses adds depth, a drybrush brings out muscle and texture, and an edge highlight on armour and blades sharpens everything up.
If you want something different, you could try an orange-and-black fiery scheme, or a darker scheme with black armour and red only on the trim. Check our guide on painting Blades of Khorne for step-by-step colour recipes.
Related Armies
If you enjoy Blades of Khorne, you might also like these armies:
- Slaves to Darkness: their warriors can dedicate themselves to Khorne, which makes them natural allies for Blades of Khorne.
- Hedonites of Slaanesh: the eternal rivalry between Khorne and Slaanesh makes these armies compelling narrative opponents.
- World Eaters: the Warhammer 40k equivalent, sharing Khorne’s blood-soaked fury.
Everything Blades of Khorne on Warhammer Guild
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Blades of Khorne?
The Blades of Khorne are the mortal and daemonic followers of Khorne, the Chaos God of blood and war, in Age of Sigmar. They seek only slaughter, earning Khorne’s favour through relentless bloodshed and offering every skull to their wrathful deity.
Are Blades of Khorne good for beginners?
Yes. They have a simple, aggressive playstyle: charge into combat and kill everything. Their Blood Tithe rewards bloodshed on both sides, which makes the army intuitive and forgiving to play.
What are the strengths of Blades of Khorne?
Blades of Khorne excel in melee combat with powerful Bloodthirsters, Mighty Skullcrushers and Blood Warriors. Their Blood Tithe builds up as units are destroyed, giving you army-wide rewards to spend.
What are the weaknesses of Blades of Khorne?
Blades of Khorne have no wizards and very limited shooting. They must reach melee to be effective, and armies that can kite or shoot them before they close the distance can exploit this single-minded approach.
What is Blood Tithe?
Blood Tithe is the Blades of Khorne army rule. You build up Blood Tithe points as units (yours or your opponent’s) are destroyed, then spend them on rewards that can include summoning daemons and other powerful effects. The exact rewards and costs are in the current battletome.
What are the best tactics for Blades of Khorne?
Close the distance fast and keep the pressure on. Lead with quick units such as Bloodletters, Flesh Hounds or Mighty Skullcrushers, keep Slaughterpriests close for prayers, and treat every trade of models as Blood Tithe you can spend. Because the army has little shooting, use terrain to hide as you advance and screen your key heroes until you can charge on your own terms.
What are the Khorne warbands in Age of Sigmar?
The best-known Khorne hosts in the lore are the Goretide of Korghos Khul, the Skullfiend Tribe, the Bloodlords and the Reapers of Vengeance, each with a different flavour of mortal and daemonic slaughter. In 40k, the equivalent followers of Khorne are the World Eaters and Khorne Daemons, which use a separate model range and rules from Age of Sigmar’s Blades of Khorne.
What models are in the Blades of Khorne range?
The range splits into daemons and mortals. Daemon units include Bloodletters, Flesh Hounds, Bloodcrushers, Skull Cannons, Bloodthirsters and Skarbrand. Mortal Bloodbound units include Blood Warriors, Bloodreavers, Wrathmongers, Skullreapers, Mighty Skullcrushers and heroes such as the Mighty Lord of Khorne, Slaughterpriest and Bloodsecrator. The Spearhead box is the cheapest way to get a mix of both.
Related Content
- Blades of Khorne 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
- Khârn the Betrayer — Champion of Khorne — related lore and background
- How to Paint Blades of Khorne — Colour Schemes Guide — painting guide for this faction