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The newest Daughters of Khaine Spearhead is the Khainite Shadow Coven, released in April 2026 as part of a wave of new Daughters of Khaine releases. It’s a 22-model force built around a Slaughter Queen riding a Cauldron of Blood, backed by shadow-stepping assassins and whip-cracking Sisters of Slaughter. It suits players who want a fast, aggressive army with a stunning centrepiece and don’t mind that their aelves are fragile.
What’s in the Khainite Shadow Coven box?
| Unit | Models | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Slaughter Queen on Cauldron of Blood (General) | 1 | Centrepiece hero, priest and battering ram |
| Hag Queen | 1 | Priest who makes nearby units’ attacks deadlier |
| Bloodwrack Medusa | 1 | Hero with a petrifying gaze that chips at enemy units |
| Khainite Shadowstalkers | 9 | Assassins who teleport through shadows |
| Sisters of Slaughter | 10 (two units of 5) | Fast, nimble melee infantry |
That’s 22 models. The Cauldron kit is flexible: it can also be built with a Hag Queen on top, or as a Bloodwrack Shrine. For the Spearhead, build the Slaughter Queen version.
Previous box: Heartflayer Troupe
Before 2026, the Daughters of Khaine Spearhead box (originally sold as Vanguard) contained a Melusai Ironscale, 10 Witch Aelves, 5 Doomfire Warlocks and 5 Blood Stalkers. In Spearhead it plays as the Heartflayer Troupe, and it still has its own rules, so if you own it you can keep playing it. It’s a more straightforward force of fast cavalry, snake-bodied archers and a big block of Witch Aelves, with blood rites that make your whole army faster and deadlier each battle round.
The Spearhead rules
Like every Spearhead army, the Shadow Coven has a battle trait that’s always on, a choice of two regiment abilities and four enhancements for your general.
Battle trait: Shadowmasked
Once per turn, in the charge phase, you can wrap one of your infantry units that’s in combat (and didn’t charge) in shadow. Enemies get -1 to hit and -1 to wound against it for the rest of the turn. It’s a big defensive boost, perfect for keeping the Sisters of Slaughter alive while they tie up something nasty.
Regiment abilities (pick one)
- Bleed Them Pale: once per battle, a unit can slip 6″ away from a fight. Great for escaping a bad combat or jumping onto an objective.
- Murderous Strike: your infantry get +1 Rend in melee on the turn they charge. The aggressive choice, and usually the stronger one for new players.
Enhancements (pick one for the Slaughter Queen)
- Shadow Avatar: once per battle, the general’s melee weapons get +1 Rend for a turn.
- Boiling Blood: a shooting-phase trick that can halve an enemy unit’s Move, which works best against heavily armoured targets.
- Frenzied Exhortations: in your hero phase, a nearby unit can get +1 to ward rolls for the turn.
- Bladed Impact: the Cauldron causes mortal damage when it charges.
What each unit does
Slaughter Queen on Cauldron of Blood
Your general is a big, tough model by aelf standards, surrounded by blade-wielding guardians. She’s also a priest who can make a nearby infantry unit harder to hurt. Drive her into the middle of the board and let her anchor your attack. For more on the god behind the cult, see our Avatar of Khaine guide.
Hag Queen
While she’s in combat, the Hag Queen can give a nearby unit’s melee weapons auto-wounding critical hits for the turn. Pair her with the Sisters of Slaughter for big damage.
Bloodwrack Medusa
Her gaze chips mortal damage off an enemy unit each turn, and does a bit more if it kills something. She’s at her best finishing off weakened units.
Khainite Shadowstalkers
Once per battle, the Shadowstalkers can vanish and reappear anywhere more than 6″ from the enemy. They also have short-range cursed missiles. Use them to steal a far objective or ambush a lonely support hero.
Sisters of Slaughter
Your two Sister units are nimble fighters. Once per turn, during the enemy’s combat phase, one of them can dance up to 2D6″ while staying in combat. That lets you re-position mid-fight onto objectives or away from the worst attackers.
How to play the Khainite Shadow Coven
Daughters of Khaine hit hard but die quickly. The trick is to choose your fights, strike first and use your shadow tricks to survive the counter-attack.
Deployment
Put the Cauldron centrally with the Hag Queen and one unit of Sisters close by. Place the second Sisters unit towards a flank objective. Keep the Shadowstalkers back and safe. Their teleport is more valuable than anything they’d do on turn one.
Turn by turn
- Round 1: Grab the objectives you can reach without being charged by something scary. Stay out of the range of big enemy hitters if you can.
- Round 2: Charge. With Murderous Strike, your infantry hit hardest on the charge, so pick the key fight and commit the Cauldron and Sisters together. Use the Hag Queen’s buff on the unit doing the most damage.
- Round 3: Use the Shadowstalkers’ leap to grab an objective your opponent has left open or to finish off a weakened hero.
- Round 4: Hold objectives. Use Shadowmasked on whichever unit is sitting on the most important one.
Common mistakes
- Charging piecemeal. One aelf unit charging alone usually gets wiped out on the swing back.
- Forgetting Shadowmasked. It works only on a unit that didn’t charge, so plan which unit will hold the line.
- Using the Shadowstalkers’ leap on turn one. It’s once per battle. Wait for a real opening.
- Keeping the Cauldron back. It’s tough and it’s your best fighter. Use it.
Watch out for armies with lots of shooting. Your aelves don’t have great saves, so use terrain to hide on the way in and let the Cauldron soak up attention.
Building and painting notes
The Cauldron of Blood is a complex kit, so build it in sub-assemblies (base, cauldron, Queen and guardians) and paint them separately before gluing everything together. The Sisters and Shadowstalkers are good practice models, and lots of exposed skin means you’ll get very good at painting flesh tones. Our Daughters of Khaine painting guide covers classic red-and-black schemes and the colder Scáthborn look.
Expanding beyond Spearhead
All the models are regular Daughters of Khaine units, so they move straight into full games using the battletome. Combining this box with the older Heartflayer Troupe box gives you a well-rounded army with cavalry, archers and Witch Aelves. Bigger additions include the Avatar of Khaine, more Sisters or Witch Aelves for numbers, and Morathi herself as the ultimate centrepiece. Read who is Morathi and our Daughters of Khaine lore deep dive for the story, and visit our Daughters of Khaine army hub for all our guides.
Where to Buy the Box
If you want the Khainite Shadow Coven 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 Khainite Shadow Coven good for beginners?
It’s fine for beginners who enjoy aggressive play. The plan is simple, but your units are fragile, so mistakes cost you. If you want something more forgiving, look at Stormcast Eternals.
What’s the difference between the Shadow Coven and the old Daughters of Khaine Spearhead?
The 2026 Shadow Coven is built around the Cauldron of Blood, Shadowstalkers and Sisters of Slaughter. The older box (the Heartflayer Troupe) has a Melusai Ironscale, Witch Aelves, Doomfire Warlocks and Blood Stalkers. Both are official Spearhead forces with different rules.
Can I build the Cauldron as a Bloodwrack Shrine?
The kit allows it, but the Spearhead force uses the Slaughter Queen on Cauldron of Blood as its general. Build that version if you want to play the Spearhead as written.
Where do I find the Spearhead rules?
The Shadow Coven’s warscrolls and rules are in the Warhammer Age of Sigmar app and Games Workshop’s Spearhead publications. Check the app for the latest version, as rules are updated from time to time.
Can I use these models in full Age of Sigmar games?
Yes. In normal games they use their battletome warscrolls and points instead of the Spearhead ones.
Who are the Daughters of Khaine?
The Daughters of Khaine are an aelven murder-cult who worship Khaine, the god of murder, under the rule of Morathi-Khaine. Their armies combine fanatical Witch Aelves and Sisters of Slaughter with snake-bodied Melusai, all fuelled by blood rites. On the tabletop they are fast, aggressive and fragile, which is why the Spearhead plays around striking first.
How do you beat Daughters of Khaine in Spearhead?
Shoot them and make them fight on your terms. The Khainite Shadow Coven’s aelves have weak saves, so heavy shooting and durable units that survive their charge and hit back both work well. Watch for Shadowmasked on a unit that didn’t charge and the Shadowstalkers’ once-per-battle leap onto an open objective, and keep an eye on the Cauldron, which is their toughest model.
Related Content
- Daughters of Khaine – Warhammer Age of Sigmar Guide — apply this guide to a specific army
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