AoS: Now That’s a Knife – Best Weapons From Every Grand Alliance
We’re here for round six of the Grand Alliance Throwdown! Today’s battle: four blades, bashers, and blasters that put the hurt on the opposition.
Welcome in, Generals of the Realms! We’re back again with another Grand Alliance battle royale. No matter how good a general is, when the steel starts a’slingin’, they’re only as good as the weapon they wield. In a place like the Realms, that’s especially true. Mundane steel might not save you from all the nonsense your enemies can throw at you. While there are plenty of enchanted blades, mighty wizard staves, and no shortage of firearms, a few sidearms stand above the rest. These are the coolest and strongest weapons from every Grand Alliance.
For the first time, this post will cover heroes we’ve seen before, but only because we’re talking about the weapon, not the wielder.
Order: Ghal Maraz
This is easily the most iconic weapon not just in Order, but in all the Realms. I mean, it’s right there in the name of the game. Ghal Maraz is the legendary golden warhammer of Sigmar. It was forged in the World that Was by the ancestor god Smednir and gifted to Sigmar by the dwarves. Its power was so great that no weapon was its equal. It served as a powerful weapon, a badge of office for the Emperor of Mankind, and proof of the friendship between Men and Dwarves. It is a weapon of unimaginable power and has felled more of mankind’s enemies than any other armament.
Currently, the weapon is wielded by the Celestant-Prime, the greatest champion of Sigmar’s Stormcast Eternals. The identity of this winged figure is a mystery, though many believe it to be Karl Franz, the last Emperor of Mankind. On the tabletop, it certainly lives up to its reputation. It gives the Prime six attacks that hit on 3+ and wound on 2+. Each hit deals four damage and dishes out mortal wounds on critical strikes. When the Prime swings the mighty hammer, every enemy of Mankind looks like a nail.
Chaos: The Slayer of Kings
On the other side of the coin is the flaming blade of Chaos known as The Slayer of Kings. Forged by the second Everchosen and containing the soul of a powerful daemon of Khorne, it is one of the only weapons that can rival Ghal Maraz for power. It is so iconic that it is the ultimate reward for Games Workshop painting, alongside the Golden Demon.
As the current Everchosen of the Slaves to Darkness, Archaon is the current wielder of the legendary blade. Considering that he handed the Old World to the Chaos Gods, it’s unlikely he’ll be unseated anytime soon. The weapon is deadly, especially to enemy heroes. It can dish out four attacks with three damage each, making it a little weaker than Ghal Maraz. However, the baleful energy of the blade is such that if Archaon rolls a 6 on two or more wound rolls with the weapon against the same hero, that hero is immediately slain. Ghal Maraz may be the great uniter, but the Slayer of Kings is the end of dynasties.
Death: Gheistvor
Death has no shortage of fancy magical blades. Nagash has Zefet-nebtar, and Katakros has Inda-Kat. However, only one weapon in the undead arsenal has a story to tell. That would be the ancestral blade of the von Carsteins, Gheistvor, the Sword of Unholy Power. Currently wielded by Mannfred, it first belonged to Vlad von Carstein, one of the greatest vampires ever to live…er, unlive.
While Gheistvor isn’t as powerful as a weapon, it has plenty of other useful powers. It’s no slouch in combat, of course, giving Mannfred plenty of swings. However, should Mannfred kill any enemy models with it, the Soulblight Gravelord Deathrattle and Deadwalker units in his army gain an extra attack. Mannfred was always a master strategist before he was a warrior, and his blade helps him be just that. Any army that comes against him will find his minions much stronger than they should be.
Destruction: Daemonfinga Staff
One thing I love about Destruction, specifically Orruks and Gitz, is how they can take things that are silly and make them deadly. That extends to their weapons, and their magic takes…interesting forms. While they don’t have much in the way of powerful weapons, they have plenty of things worth mentioning. Easily the coolest (or maybe silliest) weapon in their arsenal is the Daemonfinga Staff. Wielded by Gobsprakk, Mork’s prophet, it is, as the name describes, a Greater Daemon’s hand nailed to a stick.
While wielding this staff, the Mouth of Mork is a Wizard’s worst nightmare. The staff is especially adept at killing mages, gaining an extra Rend against them, and it allows him to twist their magic against them. He is a powerful mage, and the hand of a Lord of Change just makes him stronger. Somewhere down the line, I want to see him fight a one-handed Daemon to see who’s worthy of the power.
Did your favorite weapon make the cut?
