Age of Sigmar: Lords of Undeath – Death Heroes that Never Got a Model (But Should)
Nagash has been at this game for a long time, and he has a crew of generals (and enemies) that deserve to see the tabletop.
One of my favorite things about Age of Sigmar, Warhammer Fantasy, and even 40k is the profound lore behind the game. Powerful heroes clash against deadly villains while armies of brave soldiers clash on the battlefield. For the most part, we get to step into the shoes of said warriors and lead them on the battlefield. Even the gods, like Teclis and Nagash, can meet each other and throw their fate to the will of the dice. However, several powerful heroes exist only in the pages of Black Library or the background of the battletomes. Death, in particular, has several prolific, world-breaking heroes and adversaries that never saw plastic. I think that’s a terrible shame, so let’s look at a few heroes that deserved their moment in the sun (or dark, as the case may be).
Abhorash
The first and mightiest of the Blood Dragons, Abhorash is easily the strongest of all the accidental progeny of Nagash. In life, he was the royal guard of Queen Neferata of Lahmia and loyal to a fault. He despised the effects that the elixir of life had on his queen and her compatriots. However, he agreed to partake of the draught to protect her for eternity. When the war against Nagash in Nehekhara was reaching its climax, Abhorash retreated into the desert. Even with all his loyalty, he could not stand by and protect a court of undead monsters. After that, not much is known of him beyond the legends of his exploits and the products of his bloodline, the noble knights of the Blood Dragons.
While these warriors are vampires at their core, they act with more chivalry than the other families. They’re almost noble in their bearing; some are known to protect the mortals in their care as a caring lord might. If anyone deserved to take to the table and bring bloody vengeance against the Lord of Death, it’s Abhorash.
Frederick Van Hal
Widely considered the greatest Necromancer since Nagash, and the author of the Liber Mortis, Frederick Van Hal, lived during the Black Plague. An insidious attack by Clan Pestilens, the Plague nearly brought the Empire to its knees. Van Hal’s beloved Sylvania suffered greatly. Seeing the uncaring nobles of the Empire turn a blind eye to the suffering of the common people, he was devastated. When a mysterious stranger offered him a way out, he took it without a second thought. Van Hal likely would have torn down the Empire himself if not for the actions of his apprentice.
Centuries later, his works carried down to errant necromancers and ancient vampires alike. And yet…no model. Heinrich Kemmler gets to play but no love for the OG. Frankly, I’d love to be able to field a necromancer of Van Hal’s power and utilize his signature magical book.
Drachenfels
This one would probably be the hardest to achieve. Drachenfels was a legendary dark sorcerer who nearly destroyed the Empire multiple times. Only the actions of the vampire Genvieve and a few brave mortals kept his dark plans at bay. A daemonologist and dark sorcerer, he was every bit the spellcaster Nagash was but surpassed him in physical strength. If not for his hubris, Sigmar would be a memory written in the dust, and we might be playing Age of Drachenfels now. I would have loved to put that kind of power on the tabletop, even if it was the only model I got to use.
Which lore hero would you like to see on the tabletop?
