Tabletop Prime: Monsters of the Swamps – Kruleboyz Beasts in Our World – PRIME
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the swamp… Let’s take a look at where some of those Kruleboyz beasts really came from.
Since their release, the Kruleboyz have brought a particular brand of toxic combat to the battlefields– and Orruk players love it. Alongside their envenomed blades, underhanded tactics, and duplicitous magics, the Kruleboyz have brought the nastiest beasts they could find out of the swamps to lay waste to the hated trapping of civilization.
From the massive Sludgeraker Beast to the agile Great Gnashtoof, these monsters cause all sorts of havoc throughout the enemy line. And they do it all while buffing your troops or providing a clear vantage point for your heroes to survey their krew.
But as with all things in the Warhammer universe, each of these monsters has its roots in the mythos of the real world, and some of them are a little closer to home than you may think.
Corpse-rippa Vulcha
Soaring above the battlefield in a wide circle, the dreadful Corpse-rippa is the perfect mount for a master Killboss that wishes to survey his plans in action before swooping down to claim the choice bits for himself. It is a terrifying creature, with a razor-sharp beak and talons to shred its enemies to ribbons and a venomous stinger nestled in its feathered tail.
It makes sense, then, that this would be the chosen mount of Gobsprakk, the self-proclaimed Mouth of Mork and prophet of Kragnos. With the four limbs, venomous tail, and proximity to Orruks, the first obvious comparison that can be made is a Wyvern, a terrifying breed of dragon that lacks the usual intelligence of such noble beasts, trading the intellect for feral savagery. Fans of the Old World will note that the Wyvern was the big monster of the old Orcs and Goblins book, so it’s nice to see a return to the roots of the greenskins.
However, another comparison that can be made to the giant vulture is the Roc, an enormous hunting bird that is believed to prey on horses and unwary travelers, and the Thunderbird, an avian creature from Native American folklore believed to bring the rains.
Because the sightings of this creature and the highest concentration of myths about it are from the Pacific Northwest and Southwest cultures, the Thunderbird, and by extension, the Vulcha, also draw inspiration from the Condor, a very large and very real scavenger bird that makes its home in California. While not nearly as large as the Vulcha, a California Condor is still enormous, with a wingspan clocking nearly 10 feet, making it the largest land bird in North America.
Lucky for us, no enterprising greenskins have convinced them we might be tasty…
Great Gnashtoof
For Killabosses that want to be right up in the action immediately, the deadly Gnashtoof is the perfect mount. Fast, strong, and every bit as deadly as the orruk on its back, the Great Gnashtoof gives its rider the ideal opening for their own weapons by distracting the unfortunate target with savage attacks of its own.
The most direct comparison from modern storytelling is the Warg, a semi-sentient wolf-like creature with wicked intellect and evil intent. Popularized as Orcish mounts in the Lord of the Rings books and films, the Gnashtoof looks almost identical to the creatures from the movie.
They also likely draw at least a bit of inspiration from North American cougars, which have been known to stalk the swamps and wetlands of the American Southeast, taking down prey from fish and deer to alligators and the occasional unlucky housepet.
Troggoth
This massive, lumbering brute is made all the more dangerous by the orruk handler on his back goading him into a rage, sending him careening into enemies to vent his pain and frustration on his hapless foes. Thankfully his thick skin and regenerative capabilities spare him the worst of the damage, but that doesn’t mean he enjoys it.
Troggoths have existed in the Realms for a while and were originally an offshoot of the Gloomspite Gitz, drawing their inspiration from European legends about trolls. However, the Mirebrute looks the closest to what I always imagined a Norse troll looking like, tall, gangly, and nearly human save for the thick skin and massive tusked teeth.
In a less direct but more comical comparison, the specific way the Breaka-Boss is riding the Troggoth gives serious Master Blaster vibes from Mad Max: Into the Thunderdome. If anyone asks, this guy definitely runs Bartertown.
Sludgeraker Beast
Last but not least in our menagerie of monsters is the massive Sludgeraker Beast, a large lizard-like creature that drips venom from its fangs. The beast is so vile, in fact, that it increases the potency of nearby Kruleboy weapons, making them even deadlier in combat.
Because of the reptilian body and venoms, the easiest comparison is a Basilisk, a European creature believed to be king of all reptiles and possessing venom so deadly that it left poison in its wake, and even its gaze was deadly. Though many depictions of the Basilisk show it as a serpent with no limbs, several other incarnations exist that show it as a quadrupedal or even hexapedal or octopedal creature.
Of course, another very close approximation of this creature exists, and it is unfortunately very real and very dangerous. The largest of the monitor lizard family, the Komodo Dragon bears a striking resemblance to the Sludgeraker, down to a disgustingly virulent bite provided by the bacteria living in the Komodo’s mouth.
They are both ambush predators, both frighteningly strong and highly deadly, and I definitely wouldn’t want to see either one running out of the trees at me.
Which beasts is your favorite?
