AoS: Hammer and Anvil – Fyreslayers in 4.0
The battlefields of Age of Sigmar are heating up, and the Fyreslayers are here to make sure that fire keeps burning.
Welcome in, Generals of the Realms! The newest edition of Age of Sigmar is almost upon us, and Games Workshop is preparing us for war. Leading up to the new edition, they’ll be showing off how our favorite factions are going to change. 4.0 has been completely changed from the ground up, so every faction is going to fundamentally change how it plays.
While they weren’t my first fantasy army (that honor goes to the humble Skaven), Fyreslayers were my first foray into AoS, and they hold a special place in my heart. I love the idea of a full army of Slayers charging into the literal heat of battle, their weapons glowing with the heat of the forge. 4.0 is keeping all the things we love about Fyreslayers but streamlining them and making them more impactful. I can’t wait to get my new and improved Battle Blacksmiths on the table again.
Rune for Improvement
Probably the coolest thing about the Fyreslayers is their ur-gold runes. These magical artifacts are beaten into their flesh and can empower them with devastating effects. When a Fyerslayer Berserker fires up their empowered Runes, it’s lights out for the enemy.
The Runes table has seen a huge overhaul, and I think it’s vastly improved. Runes that almost never saw play, like the Rune of Farsight, are now deadly options and can turn the tide of an unfavorable combat. Lure your opponent into combat and then unleash your throwing axes to thin their numbers. Next turn, you can fire up the Rune of Searing Heat to finish the job. Admittedly, the wording on the Rune of Fury is a bit confusing to me, but if nothing else, it’s a good deterrent for charges (unless it doesn’t work the way I think it does). Regardless, these Runes are incredible, and I’m glad to see the spirit of the OG Fyreslayers is alive and well.
Master of Runes
One big change for the better we saw in the preview is the Runemaster. Where before he was the master of the ur-gold in name and lore only, the new Runemaster empowers your Runes with his new magic power tokens.
As long as he’s fired off enough prayers, the Auric Runemaster can turn all your Rune powers up to the next level. Again, the stand-out for me is the Rune of Searing Heat. On top of giving your Fyreslayers Mortal Critical, this Rune tears through enemy armor on EVERY strike, making you less reliant on a Critical Hit. All the Rune empowerments are phenomenal, and if the Runemaster wasn’t an auto-include before, he certainly is now.
There are a lot more exciting things on the horizon for Age of Sigmar, so keep checking back for more faction spotlights!
