Top 5 Best Heroes

So instead of talking about the humble rank-and-file soldier, let's instead shift our focus to leaders of those troops, the guys who encourage their men while the Lord sits in a bunker on a Leadership 9 Spirit Leech just playing with himself. That's right, it's the heroes! Now a few disclaimers before we get started. One, this is my opinion backed up by experience and fact. If you disagree, please drop a comment below and explain why or make your won blog. Two, I will be doing my best to avoid the most generic picks. At one point, a BSB is a BSB is a BSB. So this list might have guys you've never heard of or have never taken. Three, stats will not be the main consideration for placement. The biggest qualifier here is how the hero synergies with the army as a whole. Last but not least at four, I will not be including special characters. That will be for a later list at a later time. So, let's get to it.

#5: Warplock Engineer (Skaven)
Anthony from the Sustainable Center on Youtube said it best on his Top 10 things he hates about Skaven video (look it up, it had me rolling on the floor laughing when he started talking about this guy), this is perhaps the best bang for your buck generic hero in the game. He has all the same stats as a Clan Rat, barring he has two wounds instead of just one. For fifteen points. Yes, he is a 15 point, two wound character. But wait, it gets better! He can also be upgraded to be a level 1 or 2 caster out of the Skaven spells of Ruin, and has access to Warplock pistols, muskets, etc. Best of all, he has access to 50 points worth of magic items. This is where you get the little bastards scurrying out of a unit of Slaves or Clan Rats, firing the Doom Rocket or the Brass Orb, and killing off 150 points of your stuff. He's also Leadership 5, so when you put him in a Slave brick (which you can guarantee he will almost always be in) you can have Leadership 10 Skaven Slaves very easily with their Strength in Numbers special rule. He is a very dangerous thing to see, and if you can snipe him out of a unit, I highly suggest you do so. However, he has a couple of key weakness that put him at the bottom of this list. First, his stats are laughable for a Hero choice. I know that I said that wasn't going to be a main concern in this list, but when compared to the other picks below it's kind of hard not to see that. Second, he is going to die if he gets farted on. He has almost no armor and putting a Ward Save on him eliminates the main point of taking him in the first place. Thirdly, and this is very important Skaven players, so listen up! Putting him in a brick of Skaven Slaves prevents you from shooting into combat with Slaves. Remember that! The unit must be 100% slaves in order to shoot into combat with it. If you can get into combat with them before they can eject him out of the unit, you can avoid getting destroyed by Warp Lightning Cannons. However, his utility, potential to wipe out full blocks of expensive units, and sheer expandability make him a must-have in every Skaven list.

#4: Warrior Priest (Empire)
I hate to be lazy and just refer you to someone who actually makes videos (still getting money to buy a decent camera and microphone people!), but Lord Tremendous on Youtube did a really good job of reviewing this dude. Warrior Priests are freaking awesome! For 65 points, you get a model that comes generically with a great weapon, can channel power and dispel dice, has three very nice bound spells he can spam, and gives the unit he's in Hatred. If your unit of Halberdiers and/or Great Swords do not have a Warrior Priest in them, you need to stop and make room for him because that makes your units so much better it's not even funny. For all the things he does for the unit and the different things his bound spells do, he is almost a steal for 65 points. You can use him as a Dispel Scroll caddy if you want, but in my mind the optimal build is just as he is, unless you want him in Death Star unit. He does have two key weaknesses that I think do earn him a spot at #4 though. First off, he is not a replacement for a supporting caster. He has no official casting level and thus cannot contribute anything to dispel or casting attempts besides channeled dice. I see a lot of Empire players get into trouble when their Level 4 miscasts and dies, and then suddenly they can't stop any magic from across the other side of the table. Keep that in mind people. Two, he is a human, and thus he is not too impressive in terms of stat lines. Yes, he's lightyears above a Warplock Engineer, but he's not all that impressive when compared to other Heroes out there. However, his ability to turn base line rank-and-file troops into gore machines is enough to make him a very optimal choice in any Empire army, but most especially in combat and gun line armies.

#3: Black Orc Big Boss (Orcs and Goblins)
This is a character that almost every Greenskin player will swear by, and for good reason too. Orcs are a tough bunch to deal with no matter who you are, and picking them off the field is a task easier said then done. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on who you are, they do a fairly good job of that by themselves with Animosity special rule. Without this rule, the army would be the most broken ass thing in the entire game. However, they balance themselves out very well so you're not seeing them too much in big tournaments and higher level play. Black Orcs are a pretty cool unit. They don't suffer animosity, they're packing a lot armor in an army that has relatively low armor capability, and they have the option to pick what combination of weapons they want to use when they get into combat. Now take that, and put it into the profile of a regular Orc Big Boss, add +1 Weapon Skill, and then add a rule that can completely negates Animosity (at the expense of a few of your Boyz). Suddenly that Malorian sized horde of Savage Orc Big Un's looks a lot scarier, doesn't it? Much like Skaven players, OnG players become much more competitive when they decrease the chaotic nature of their army. This guy is a perfect way to do so. Unlike other Orc heroes who can be the BSB, he's got much better defensive capabilities with his higher Weapon Skill, better armor, and still rock solid Toughness. This opens you to taking the very powerful, very expensive magical banner you wouldn't otherwise see on a run-of-the-mill Orc or Goblin BSB. However, with all this benefit there must be some detriment as well. You get what you pay for with this guy and make no mistake of that. I'm afraid that if I post anymore points costs that GW will shut me down, but suffice it to say, he is a very large expenditure of points. Especially when given a really powerful banner. Also, his armor save isn't all that impressive compared to some other big bruisers in the Hero department. Don't get me wrong, it's much better then what you would normally have access to, but more than half the armies out there can field guys cheaper and with a better armor save then a Black Orc BSB. However, his pure ability to take/dish out punishment, fix the army's biggest weakness, and rock solid stat line make for a combination that earn hims the #3 spot on this list.

#2: Assassin (Dark Elves)
I'd be lying if I said I didn't want an option like this available to either the Lizardmen or Bretonnian armies. For what you pay for, you get a Hero choice that is pretty damned powerful, especially in the End Times rules with 50% Lord and Hero allotment. Even in the previous metas where combat characters were going the way of the dinosaur, these guys were the last unbowed characters of their kind. The problem with putting a kitted out combat lord on a big scary dragon is that he's going to have his ass full of cannon balls by turn two. Assassins (either Dark Elves, Skaven, and kindasorta Goblins) don't have to worry about that, because they use a tactic that eludes most armies in this era. Subtly. An Assassin is a precision killing tool you use to take out your enemy's big scary character(s). I have seen Warriors of Chaos players go from confident to the depths of dread when their Chaos Champion or Daemon Prince gets shanked by an Assassin and killed outright. ASF paired with high Weapon Skill and Initiative is a very difficult thing to deal with, no matter how defensive your Lord is kitted out to be. In my mind, Assassins have two practical applications. The first is to stick him in a unit of Shades to go chaff, war machine, and character hunting. The second is to stick him in a "dummy unit" of cheap core to bait out a character. Some people, especially Vampire Counts players, like to throw their killy lords into combat, because they know how much sheer killing power they posses and so that they don't have to dedicate a unit to deal with the "dummy unit" and crowd up the board. My lovely fiance, who plays Dark Elves, likes to use Bleak Swords. People scoff when she puts the unit if twenty of them down, until they find out what danger lurks inside! The only serious problem I see with the Assassin is that he's not very versatile. Yeah, he can be used to scythe through Hobgoblins or Skaven Slaves pretty well, but apart from killing off units and most especially characters, he has no other purpose. I know a lot of people also bitch about how squishy he is, but with high Weapon Skill and a Ward Save, he's going to be just fine in most cases. Even if he does die, he's not enough points to really cry too much about it. The other problem a lot of people bring up is that the Hero section for the Dark Elves is very competitive what with Masters and Death Hags able to make builds that are just terrifying. But again, not really something I would worry about all that much because of End Times rules and because he's so damned cheap. Now, without further ado, the #1 Hero in all of Warhammer is...!


#1: Infernal Castellan (Chaos Dwarves)
Yeah, I bet you didn't call this one, did you? As much as I fucking hate the Chaos Dwarves and everything attached to them I cannot help but admire this nasty little stunty. See, the Chaos Dwarves are a really funky little army. They have no access to a Lord level combat character so the Castellan acts as your all-in-one. He also has access to 75 points worth of gear, which is really nice and certainly gives him a leg up when compared to other hero level characters that are in his general area. He is also Leadership 10 and Stubborn, meaning for 75 points you can give any unit in your army neigh unbreakable Leadership. He can also specifically take a shield, meaning he's very well protected for a BSB. He's also rocking Chaos Armor and Toughness 5, meaning he's damned tank when it comes to taking damage. He can be kitted out to be killy in combat but that's not necessarily an optimal build for him. The other thing that makes the Castellan badass is that he's not all that expensive (points wise) and can take perhaps the best weapon in the game, the Fireglave. Because he's also a Hero, he is a dirt cheap Hero choice for Chaos Dwarves, meaning they can pretty much spam these little guys all over the board for not too much until they start kitting them out with maxed out gear. I know Thanes in the Dwarves book can do all that as well, but here's the difference. The Dwarves have a combat Lord option, in fact they have two really, in the forms of Dwarf Lord and the Daemon Slayer. Chaos Dwarves do not have an option which is something I think is quite strange, but most Chaos Dwarves will just be Gun Line, so not a really a place for a combat lord in those kinds of lists anyway. It's for this synergistic reason that I rank the Castellan higher then anyone else on this list. Also, the obscurity (not if you live in my area) of this army also mean you have no idea what this guy can really do or some of the gear he has access to.

So that's it guys, I hope you enjoyed this list, and of course I'll be listing a Top 5 Worst Heroes within a few days, so please try to be paitent. Hope you guys enjoy, and please comment below if you agree or you feel I missed a hero you think deserves to be in this list.   
       
   

 

In a Nutshell; The Lore of High Magic

Lore Attribute(s):
Shield of Saphery (High Elves):
Whenever a spell from the Lore of High Magic is successfully cast, the caster and the unit he is in get a 6+ Ward Save until the start of the caster's next magic phase. If the target and his unit already have a Ward Save, then it is increased by a numerical value of 1. I believe the most the Ward Save can be increased is to a 3+, but don't quote me on that part. This is a really big deal, because the High Elves are not the most defensive army in the world. Once something gets past their to-hit phase, there's not much to stop them after that. This attribute is a perfect solution because a Ward Save can't really be negated all that easily. Plus, there's a lot of one or two dice spells in this lore that you can shove out to increase this save for next to no risk. Out of the three races that have attributes and access to this lore, this is the 2nd best in my opinion.

Contemplations (Lizardmen):
If a spell from the Lore of High Magic is successfully cast, the caster can choose to forget this spell at the end of his magic phase. He then immediately generates a replacement spell from any of the other lores he would normally have access to. If the caster swaps for a spell that is not from the Lore of High Magic, he must use that lore's attribute when casting the swapped spell. This lore combined with the Focus of Mystery (he becomes a Loremaseter on High Magic) discipline on a Slann Mage Priest is the ultimate tournament wizard in my opinion. Playing an Empire player with Demigryph Knights and Steam Tank? Swap a spell for Searing Doom. Playing an Ogre Gut Star? Swap for a Death snipe or Purple Sun. Playing Undead or Daemons? Swap Soul Quench for Shem's Burning Gaze. This is the best lore attribute out of the three, and my favorite by far. I know I'm biased, but you know what, at least I admit it goddamn it!

Ancients' Protection (Wood Elves):
Whenever a spell from the Lore of High Magic is successfully cast by a Wood Elf wizard and it is not dispelled. place a protection counter next to his model or the unit he is in. Whenever the caster or a model in the same unit as him suffers an unsaved wound and there are one or more protection counters next to him, then remove a protection counter and treat the wound as having been saved. This my least my favorite attribute, but it's still pretty damn nice in my opinion, especially in the context of the Woodies. See, Wood Elf casters are very lightly protected, so being able to save them from pretty much anything in the game is a big deal for any caster, but especially themselves. It should be noted that only Lord level casters can choose to take the Lore of High Magic, so pretty much every time he casts a spell, he's buying foolproof insurance for himself against any danger that comes his way. Something to keep in mind if you play the Eco Terrorists with no armor.

Signature Spell #1: Drain Magic
This spell type was popularized by Daemons players and I personally really like them due to their excessive utility. This spell acts as an Augment if it targets a friendly unit and a Hex if it targets an enemy unit. It has  base casting value of 7+ and a range of 18". No matter whom it targets, this spell immediately terminates any and all spells on the targeted unit, including spells that remain in play. You can boost this spell to encompass all units (friend and foe) within 18" for a casting value of 14+. This, in my mind is the ultimate magic defense spell in your casting value. Need to get rid of Okkam's Mindrazor? Need to get rid of Soulblight? Then this spell is your go-to man. This spell is really nice if your opponent is relying very heavily on Augments and Hexes, like Nurgle, Beasts, and Shadow. It's a great spell to swap for if you roll one of the crappier spells in the lore, and if you play Lizardmen, I wouldn't be too keen to swap this one out for a different spell. It's that nice to have. I give it an easy 4 out of 5.

Signature Spell #2: Soul Quench
I know what you're thinking! "Signature Spell #2? That must be a typo!" Nope, both the Lores of High and Dark Magic have two signature spells! How friggin awesome is that?! Moving on, this spell is a Magic Missile with a range of 18" and a casting value of 8+. It inflicts 2D6 S4 hits, but can be boosted to inflict 4D6 S4 hits for an increased casting value of 16+. This is your basic utility MM, designed to clear out chaff, smaller units, and help whittle down bigger units. While it's not as good as Drain Magic, this spell is still very nice to have, and I would against certain opponent swap for it. For Lizardmen players, this is a nice spell to use to clear some chaff and then swap for something a bit more useful. In my mind, this spell is deserving of a 3 out of 5 rating.

Spell #1: Apotheosis
This is an Augment spell that targets a single model within 18". On a casting value of 5+, that target immediately regains a single lost wound. You can boost this spell so that it restores D3 wounds for an increased casting value of 10+. The targeted unit also gets the Fear special rule until the start of the caster's next magic phase, regardless of how many (if any) wounds are recovered. I think that for its casting value, this spell is really nice to have. If recovering lost wounds is your thing, then I would point you to the Lore of Life, but in a balanced spell list like High Magic, this is a really handy spell to have. In Monster Mash lists, this perhaps the best spell in the lore. Which for all three races that have access to it can run effectively since they all have access to very scary monsters like Treemen, Frostheart Phoenixes, and Stegadons. I give it a 4 out of 5, but I can understand why you want to swap for it in the case of not being a loremaster. To all my Lizardmen brothers, do not swap for this spell, unless you're running a Slann with Transcendent Healing. My opinion, but it's all been tempered with expierence.

Spell #2: Hand of Glory
This is an Augment spell with a range of 18" and a casting value of 5+. The targeted unit increases either it's Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Initiative, or Movement by D3 until the start of the caster's next magic phase. You can boost it so that it increases all of those attributes by D3, for an increased casting value of 10+. Just like how Soulblight is the evil twin of Wyssan's, this is the good twin of Miasma. There are two things that make this spell exceptional beyond the obvious. One, it is dirt cheap to cast for what it does either at its base level or boosted value. Two, it can increase Movement, which is very pivotal and fun if you're doing a two on two game with Dwarfs as your allies. I give it a 4 out of 5, and a recommendation not to swap it unless you have a very good reason.

Spell #3: Walk Between Worlds
An Augment spell with a range of 24" and a base casting value of 8+, this spell targets a single unengaged unit which then gains the special rule Ethereal and may immediately make a 10" movement as if it were the Remaining Moves sub-phase. This spell can be boosted to increase that movement to a 20" occurrence for an increased casting value of 16+. This spell is phenomenal, no matter what army you play spells that allow you to move again are just awesome. Don't believe me? Ask a Tomb Kings player how much he likes his Desert Wind spell that moves him again. I give it an easy 5 out of 5, mostly because a well-placed Walk Between Worlds on a horde of Saurus has one my many, many games.

Spell #4: Tempest
This is a Direct Damage spell with a range of 30" and a casting value of 12+. Place the large round template anywhere within 30" of the caster. It then scatters D6" and all models under the template suffer a Strength 3 hit. Models with the Fly special rule suffer a Strength 4 hit instead. If a unit suffers any unsaved wounds from this spell it suffers a -1 penalty to-hit for booth shooting and close combat attacks, and anything that doesn't rely on Ballistic Skill to shoot hits on a roll of a 4+. This spell is the big stinker out of the lore in my opinion because to be S3 with a scatter is absolute shit. The only good thing about this spell is that it's cheap to cast and create a psuedo-barrier on the battlefield that most people will not be avid to charge immediately through. My suggestion is to swap it for Soul Quench or if you have the loremaster of High Magic discipline as a Slann, then cast it immediately and the swap it for something much more useful. The -1 to-hit is kind of nice, but the spell is just too random for me to definitively say it's worth taking. Gets a 2 out of 5 from me.

Spell #5: Arcane Unforging
This is a Direct Damage spell with a range of 24" and a base casting value of 13+. It targets a single enemy model, even in a unit, and the target suffers a single wound on a dice roll greater than or equal to his unmodified armor save (basically a lore of metal spell, and if the target has no armor save then this spell does not work). No armor saves can be used against this spell, and the enemy player must then reveal to the caster all the magic items on the targeted model. The caster, on a roll of a 2+ on a D6 roll, may randomly select a single item and destroy the item. This does not effect items that are listed under the following profiles; mounts, magic items with bound spells that have been miscast during the game, and items that are one use only and have already been used. Do not include any of these items in the randomization selection process. This spell will almost always prove useful at one time or the other, but the primary thing I use it for is punishing Warriors of Chaos and Chaos Dwarf casters. Casters who think they're safe behind armor only to find themselves without a Talisman of Preservation or even better, an unused Dispel Scroll. However, my experience does come from an area where Chaos Dwarfs are very prevalent, so that biases me on the use of this spell. Against any combat characters, this spell will also make them very susceptible when they get into combat. I like this spell though, but I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea. For that, I give it a 3 out of 5, and a suggestion to my scaled-skin brothers on the internet, do not swap for it unless there's just no viable use for it.

Spell #6: Fiery Convocation
A remains in play Direct Damage spell with a range of 24" and a casting value of 19+. Every model in the targeted unit takes a S4 Flaming hit. Additionally, at the end of every subsequent Magic Phase, every model in the target suffers a S4 Flaming hit. This spell is fucking incredible. As High Elves, Lizardmen, and Wood Elves, you're going to run into a similar problem despite how differently these armies run. All of these armies are considered to be elite armies, meaning they put out troops with more quality, but with less ability to field these troops en mass. Thus, when you run into armies like Empire, Skaven, Greenskins, Daemons, etc, you're going to have a tough go of it trying to plow through hordes of bullshit infantry. Especailly if you're a Wood Elf player. Firey Convocation is an excellent solution, because you're punishing these armies with higher numbers and lower toughness. I cannot tell you how many Empire hordes I have straight up annihilated with this spell. Those Halberdiers that were supposed to guard your artillery are now gone, and my Cold One Riders are now spanking the shit out of your war machines. Love this spell, LOVE it. I give it a 5 out of 5 easily, I know I'm biased, but that's how awesome this spell is.

That's High Magic, and to be honest, I like it more than some standard lores. It's by far one of the most diverse lores in terms of spell type and application, and utility wise it's damn near unparalleled. How you should run it depends on which of the three armies you're playing that has access to it.

High Elves; Take a Level 4 on this with the Book of Hoeth. With the special rule for getting +1 to cast out of High Magic, this makes you a very dangerous wizard on the battlefield. Take it from a guy who runs a Level 4 Prophetess on Life with the Verdant Heart, being a Level 5 caster is never a bad thing. I would shy away from hero level casters rocking out to this, but if that's your cup of tea then knock yourself the fuck out. I'd instead be running a Loremaster as my support caster, but that's just me and I don't have all that much experience playing as High Elves. Definitely the Level 4 with Book of Hoeth combo though, that's the best magic user for point cost in that entire army.

Lizardmen; If your Slann is rocking out to High Magic, then make him a loremaster of it. The diversity and lore attribute allows you damned near infinite magical flexibility, and in a meta that is very much anti-Lizardmen at the moment I would take this attribute and not think twice. Since you can't take Skinks on High Magic, any support casting is impossible from this lore.

Wood Elves; This is where it gets tricky. Since only your Lord level caster can rock out to High Magic you're pretty much relying on getting a right combination of spells in order to make this lore usable. The lore attribute is certainly the biggest reason to roll with High Magic in a Woodies army, and sticking him in a forest also makes him very powerful caster in his own right. There are two possible effective army styles for Wood Elves. The first is the traditional run-and-gun army with lots of shooting, chaff, nasty little trick items, and general shenanigans that anyone playing against or as the Wood Elves before their 8th edition book knows and dreads. The second is a more orthodox fighting style army, filled with Wild Riders, hordes of Glade Guard, annoying groups of War Dancers, and really scary killy characters. High Magic, in my humble opinion, should be used with the latter of the two armies. High Magic is all about setting yourself up to be in the better position when combats start happening. Drain Magic, Hand of Glory, Arcane Unforging, and Fiery Convocation are evidence of that. Burning up a horde of infantry for a turn or two before throwing a group of War Dancers into them is certainly a viable tactic for combat Wood Elf armies. Again, that's my opinion, so if you disagree, please comment below and tell me why.       

 

In a Nutshell; The Lore of Death

Lore Attribute: Life Leeching
Whenever a Lore of Death spell is cast roll a D6 for each unsaved wound caused by the spell. Each roll of a 5 or 6 on these dice results in adding another dice to your power pool. This is the most broken ass lore attribute in the entire 8 signature lores of the BRB. Especially when paired with Purple Sun, which can result in throwing all the dice you have at it and then getting another magic phase with potentially 12 dice again. Almost like the Lore of Life, this attribute will almost always be useful. I really like this attribute, because unlike most attributes, this one will actually almost always be useful in every game you take Death to.

Signature Spell: Spirit Leech
A Direct Damage spell with a range of 12" and a casting value of 7+. It targets a single enemy model, even in a unit. Both casters roll a D6 and add their respective Leadership values. For every point the caster wins by the target suffers a wound with no armor saves allowed. The caster can choose to extend the range of the spell to 24" and for an increased casting value of 10+. This spell has gotten kind of a reputation for which I'm not sure it truly deserves. See, a very common tactic with Death is to take a level 1 or 2 caster with this spell and run him in to snipe out some characters in a unit. An ingenious tactic, but somewhat lacking when put into actual use. Unless said caster is an elf, your wizards are going to as a general rule have lower leadership then the rest of your combat characters, putting you at an initial numerical disadvantage. However, unlike most of the spells in this lore it can be boosted to have a decent range. Something that you'll notice is kind of the nerfing factor in this lore. I give it a 3 out of 5, it's decent spell to swap for but I'm not a big fan exactly.

Spell #1: Aspect of the Dreadknight
... That's all I can say really. This spell is pretty bad, now, it's not Flock of Doom bad, but it's still pretty fucking bad. It's an Augment spell with a casting value of 4+ and a range of 24". It gives the targeted unit the Fear special rule, and if you boost the spell it gives the unit Terror for an increased casting value of 9+. The only good thing about this is that it is dirt cheap to cast, even on a level 1, you can chuck one die at it (base) and you're on the better part of math for it going off. My issue with this spell is that there is basically no point to it apart from maybe getting a failed Fear or Terror test from your opponent. However, when you start to think about it, the odds of that happening are very slim. You have three armies that are Undead/Daemonic, and thus ITP and completely disregard this, and another six armies on Leadership 10 with Stubborn thrown in their at odd spots, and the other armies are still on decent Leadership unless they're Greenskins or unsupported Skaven. I give it a 1 out 5, swap for it if you roll it up.

Spell #2: The Caress of Laniph
A Direct Damage spell with a range of 12" that targets a single enemy model with a base casting value of 6+. Once successfully cast, the targeted model suffers 2D6 minus his own Strength value in hits. These hits wound on a 4+ with no armor saves allowed. It can be boosted to have a range of 24" for a casting value of 12+. This spell is why I think Spirit Leech isn't all that and a bag of chips. Now, when there was a lot of 7th edition army books still out, this spell was not all that good. However, with the fall of Daemons and Warriors of Chaos and the rise of High and Dark Elves, this spell has become very nice indeed. Yes, it can be countered very easily with High Magic and the Banner of the World Dragon, but against other characters and especially elven casters, this spell is very nice indeed. Against a Dark Elf Sorceress, this is going to hit about 4 times and cause two wounds. That's enough to kill a Hero-level caster outright and seriously wound a Lord-level caster. Again, against High Elves, this spell is a bit less powerful, but I would still take it as a sniping spell unless I rolled up it's big brother. I give it a 3 out 5, it's pretty nice all in all.

Spell #3: Soulblight
A Hex spell with a range of 24" and a casting value of 9+. The targeted unit has -1 Strength and Toughness until the star of the caster's next magic phase. The spell can be boosted to effect all enemy units within 24" and a casting value of 18+. This spell is awesome, it's like Wyssan's evil twin brother, I absolutely love this spell, especially for Dark Elves. Reducing Strength and Toughness is always a good thing. I cannot think of a game I have ever played where this spell has been wasted or I wished I had this spell. Yeah, I love this spell, I'm all over it. Bubbling this shit out is awesome, especially in multi-unit combats. My woman put this spell on my Saurus and kicked the shit out of them with Corsairs. I have heard a lot of Lizardmen/High Elves/Dark Elves/Wood Elves/ Empire players swear by a Wyssans/Soulblight combination, and I have rolled it up before, and it's awesome. I give it a 5 out of 5, for what this spell is, it's perfect.

Spell #4: Doom and Darkness
Another Hex spell with a range of 24" and a casting value of 10+. It's a remains in play spell that causes the target to suffer -3 to it's Leadership. It can be boosted to have an extended range of 48" for a casting value of 13+. Three words make this spell worth it's salt. Remains in Play. This is the only way to make Aspect of the Dreadknight workable, and it's useful in multiple situations. Unless you run into Daemons or Undead, then -3 to Leadership is a really big deal. It can make Stubborn and Cold-Blooded units a lot easier to deal with. Stubborn on Leadership 10 with a re-roll is the closest thing to Unbreakable that you can get. Stubborn on Leadership 7 with a re-roll is a lot more manageable. It's also a good way to deal with the Skaven Strength in Numbers rule and in most cases can completely negate it. If fooling with Leadership is your thing, then knock yourself out. I give it a base 3 out of 5, because that's about as much as I get out of it, because screwing with Leadership isn't really my thing.

Spell #5: The Fate of Bjuna
This is my favorite sniping spell in the entire lore. It has a base casting value of 13+ and a range of 12". It targets a single enemy model and it suffers 2D6 minus it's own Toughness . These hits wound on a roll of a 2, with no armor saves allowed. In addition, if the target survives, it is subject to Stupidity for the rest of the game. Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce you to the Artist Formerly Known as the Teclic-Killer. When High Elves were rocking their broken-ass Teclis character, this spell was the best way to take him out, especially after he had the T1 penalty. It's still a damned fine spell for taking out most casters, with the exception of a select few. However, it has a two big drawbacks in my mind. First, it's not cheap to cast. While it's not boosted up version of Flames of Azgor expensive, it's not two-dice cheap. Second, this spell has no range at all. 12" is very close for a caster to be an enemy unit, and that would make me sweat for the survival of my caster. I like it, I give it a 3 out of 5 for two reasons. One, I don't like Sniping Spells, I think they're a waste of potential. Just my opinion, I know a lot of people who love these spells, but I'm not one of them. Two, the range is just a total killer on this spell.

Spell #6: Purple Sun
I'm not even going to talk about this spell, because if you've played more than three games of Warhammer, you know what the Purple Sun is. For awhile, this spell really reigned supreme above all else, but with the domination of Elves in the current meta. It's taken a backseat to spells like Dwellers Below and Final Transmutation. Still very dangerous against anything that's not Skaven or Elves. I give it a 5 out of 5, because it's wiped out my entire Lizardmen army before.

So the best way to run Death magic is on a single support caster, because to be honest this lore is not very versatile. Unless you manage to get Soulblight, then I wouldn't really bother kicking Death up to a Lord level caster anyway. Everybody shoots for double 6's anyway, so your casting vale for Purple Sun really doesn't matter. Sniping spells make these cheaper support caster very dangerous, especially when they're mounted or flying in the case of a Deamon Prince. In some cases Death can be very helpful for Hexing like there's no tomorrow, but unless you can crank out enough of them and roll exactly a 1, 3, and 4, then it's just not worth it really. Death is very powerful, but it's a bit of a one-trick pony. Stop the little caster from moving around, and you shut down their ability to project magic across the board. Stay tuned for next time when I go over the Lore of High Magic.

Top 5 Worst Core Units in the Game

#5: Skink Cohorts (Lizardmen)
Yeah, even as a loyal Lizardmen player I have to admit that Skink Cohorts (rank and file Skinks) are really laughable. Especially after GW released the 8th edition Lizardmen army codex. For some reason, they neutered a unit I didn't even think needed to be neutered! I mean sure, the Slann was ridiculously overpowered in 7th edition and toning him down certainly was an acceptable idea to everyone, but messing with the Skink stat line was just a completely bizarre move.  In return for dropping the points for Kroxigor and Scaly Skin 6+, the new Skinks are sitting at a reduced Leadership of 5. A coin flips leadership is not that bad, but Leadership 5 is no bueno by my reckoning. The reason they did this was to entice people to start taking Skrox units (Skink and Kroxigor), and sadly for me it has worked. For this reason alone do I only put Skinks at #5. The Kroxigor in the Skink unit has more application then I had originally realized. Especially in battlefields with water formations. Rank and file Skinks by themselves are no longer a viable option, but being able to take Monsterous Infantry that hits at S7 in the same unit is the reason I rank them higher on the shit scale then the other things you will see in this list. That, and they do have poisoned range weapons on them, so you can make a pretty nasty stand-and-shoot if/when you get charged.

#4: Ungor (Beastmen)
I know shouldn't be picking on Beastmen, it's like making fun of the kid in the wheel chair when he's watching you and your buddies play football. It's mean, unethical, and extremely longed down upon. However, I would be lying if I said they didn't have a place here. The one good thing about Beastmen is that they do have relatively respectable stats, and they could be fixed very easily by adjusting their equipment. All except Ungor. Ungor are like the Skinks of the Beastmen. They're the lowest men on the totem pole and thus they function a lot like Goblins or Snotlings in a Greenskin army. More for being an obstacle then anything else. However, they're not as cheap as other shitty Core units, so they're an in perspective not cheap core unit that's just going to sit their, get charged, and then get killed. They also don't really have any impressive tricks they can pull. Even lower stat units like Skinks and Goblins at least have nasty little tricks that keep people hesitant to get into combat with them. Again, Ungor don't really even have that advantage. I suppose you could use the Beastmen Ambush rule with them, but that's a major gamble with a relatively hefty price. I would like to see these guys get a makeover in their new book (should it ever come) but for now, they get the ex-nay.

#3: Skeleton Warriors (Tomb Kings)
Yeah, this should be another one that should be fairly obvious. Tomb Kings are very, very weak in the current meta which is quite a shame since their book was one of the first that was done in 8th edition. There are two key reasons that I put them at this spot, and I know it may seem like it's weird that I'm putting a Beastmen unit above 3 other units, but I have my reasons. See, Skeleton Warriors are plagued by two very tragic things that make them very piss-poor choices, even in the context of the Tomb Kings. First off, they are Nehekaran Undead. This is a whole host of problems, but I'll outline the main points. They can't march, so they are slow as shit and unwieldy to say the least. They're also pathetic in combat, so when they finally do go into a unit they then proceed to get the living shit kicked out of them. They can indeed regrow fallen warriors, but they can't go beyond starting size and they loose more troops at a rate that they cannot sustain even with regenerating their fallen comrades. The second reason, is that there is a unit in the Core section that is many times more effective than these guys. That unit is called Skeleton Archers. You knows these guys, they. They have practically the same stats and kit-out as the Warriors, but there is one key difference. A horde of Skeleton Warriors will collapse within a few rounds of combat. A horde of Skeleton Archers will be a machine gun in the shooting phase and actually take out a respectable amount of points across the board from you. I legitimately feel bad for these poor shit heads, but what are you going to do, right?

#2: Pink Horrors (Daemons of Chaos)
When you hear that your Warriors of Chaos buddy is bringing his Tzeentch infantry list, you buy enough beer to get him to the point where he's starting to make questionable tactical decisions. When your Daemons of Chaos buddy brings his Tzeentch infantry list, you start drinking to give the poor bastard a leg up. It's such a shame too, because even in the realm of non-combat units, Tzeentch is still not that impressive in the Daemons book. His magical access is unimpressive compared to Nurgle and Slaanesh. He has some interesting chaff and chariot units, but if you're relying on chaff and chariots to win you the game then my friend, you may wish to rethink your life. It's even a bigger shame, because this unit kind of pioneered a new form of unit that has gotten very popular with the release of the Dark and Wood Elves books. It's the collective unit that acts as a single caster. Doomfire Warlocks are incredibly powerful units, they're able to deliver spells that are effective for their purpose and even have impressive enough stats and equipment that allow them to survive in situations that might get very dangerous. Sisters of the Thorn, a similar unit in the Wood Elves book has an almost identical stat and kit-out base line, but the spells they have are slightly less useful and thus they often get ranked behind the Brolocks. Pink Horrors are the predecessors to both these units and to be frank, they suck. They really, really suck. From what I understand, the unit acts as a level 1 caster on Tzeentch magic, which seems really cool because the lore attribute allows them to regenerate any lost casualties if their spells do any unsaved wounds. So it seems like an interesting unit. There's just two problems with this. First, the attribute relies on causing unsaved wounds, meaning that the only spells that really work on this attribute are Magic Missiles and Direct Damage spells. Neither of which can be used once the unit gets into close combat. This wouldn't be a problem, except that Pink Horrors are basically naked except for their Daemonic Ward Save. These guys die in bucket loads. I'll give Skeleton Warriors this much, they can at least try to lash out and kill a few guys. Pink Horrors are just butchered and their paltry resistance is almost sad. I'm serious, I've sent Ment-At-Arms, fucking Men-At-Arms, into a unit of Pink Horrors and they whupped this shit out of them! Thus, my Daemons buddy went from Tzeentch to all Slaanesh for a bit of an easier time of it. These guys suck and there's really no fixing them right now, but maybe in their next book they'll get redone a bit.

#1: Zombies (Vampire Count)
Before everyone explodes in the comments section, yes I realize that Zombies are supposed to suck and that's there point. However, they have a little bit of a problem. See, Zombies are Initiative 1, ASL, and WS 1. Meaning they totally and completely suck. They're just supposed to get in the way and tie up the enemy so that Black Knights and Blood Knights can flank whatever the Zombies are dealing with. See, even though you can grow the Zombies back beyond their starting size and they grow more plentifully then any other Undead unit, they suck so bad that they die off many times faster then they can grow back. So, if the Vampire Counts player doesn't position correctly then these guys are just going to die at such a great rate that it's just impossible to use these guys effectively even as a tar-pit unit. Especially when you have access to units like Skeletons and Ghouls in the Core section that are only mildly more expensive then Zombies are and do the job much, much better. As a result, I put the Zombies here, and again I realize that they are supposed to suck and that's why they are so cheap. However, they are very not good enough even in that capacity, so I put them here.

  

Top 5 Best Core Units in the Game

So as you probably guessed from the title, today we'll be discussing the humble core unit, the units that you're required to take even though you'd rather just take whole blocks of elite infantry and call it good. Again, keep in mind that this is based off of my personal opinion, but I will be supporting my opinion with fact. Also, no Chaos Dwarves will be included in this list, just a little heads up to all you Chaos Dwarf players.

#5: Saurus Warriors (Lizardmen)
I know, I know, I'm insanely biased since Lizardmen are my first army. However, I have good reason. Saurus Warriors are rocking a  pretty solid stat line with 2 attacks a piece and a Strength and Toughness value of 4, and an armor save of 4+. They can roll with either a spear and shield or a hand weapon and shield, and they have a special rule that allows them to make additional attack on a roll of a 6 in the to-hit phase. They are not without their weakness though. They have an appalling Initiative value, and they can be pseudo-frenzy baited if there's no Skink character around to tell them otherwise. There was a time in 7th edition, when Chaos Warriors ruled the game and crushed all who stood before them. None, not even the ridiculously busted High Elves of 7th edition could stand before the black hordes of chaos. None of course but the humble Saurus Warrior could reasonably match the power of the Chaos Warriors, and tie the hordes of evil down in frustratingly long battles. In 8th edition, things have changed a bit. Lizardmen have fallen very far from their former place in the world, but the Saurus still remains a respected unit to this day. Especially when they're Cold-Blooded, which makes them core that are effectively Stubborn and going nowhere anytime soon.

#4: Dark Riders (Dark Elves)
While you have to respect Core infantry that can compete at the level of elite infantry blocks, not all core has to be that way. Some serve their respective armies in a different way. History shows us that the importance of cavalry drastically changed with the invention of the phalanx formation and especially with the invention of black powder. Gone was the era of heroic charges across the field of battle, here was the era of support and reconnaissance. If you look at the American Civil War, one of the key reasons for Confederate success throughout the war was the exceptional and almost unbelievable success of the Confederate cavalry in performing vital recon, sabotage, and perfectly timed advances. Dark Riders are the closest thing we will ever understand J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry corp to have been. They are in a sense the model fast cavalry unit. They are very mobile, they are surprisingly effective in close quarters combat, and have a ranged attack that can annihilate other chaff or war machine crews with contemptuous ease. While they may not be the one charging up the center and claiming the enemy's battle flag, they will be the ones that make that outcome possible. They are certainly the unsung heroes of any Dark Elf army.

#3: Errant Knights (Bretonnia)
A wise man once said that bravery is nothing more than being too stupid to be afraid. Yet it is courage like that which has turned the tide of many a battle in history. Perhaps one of the most interesting is the story of how the North Carolina is known as the Tar Heel state. In the battle of Bull Run, the first major engagement between the Union and the Confederacy in the America Civil War, the Confederates were initially on a razor's edge. The veteran troops serving under the Union had forced well-equipped Georgia and South Carolina troops to retreat, leaving only the thread-bare and poorly equipped North Carolinians to face the Union assault. Time and time again the Union troops advanced, only to be repelled by the stubborn Carolina troops, who instead counter-attacked the shocked Union soldiers despite the numerical deficit the Confederates faced. General Robert E. Lee later remarked to his subordinate generals that they should take their boots off and apply the same sticky tar from the pine trees common in North Carolina to their feet. The First Battle of Bull Run was won by the Confederacy, carried by the bravery of the North Carolina soldiers. I tell you that to tell you this. Cheap, heavily armored, and completely fixated knights on the charge, like Errant Knights are a scary thing to deal with, because they will not stop coming at you, no matter how dangerous the situation. Having a unit that can bare enormous loses without so much as a step in the backwards direction is a very serious advantage indeed. While the book is older and the units not quite up to the standard of other troops on other armies, Errant Knights have a unique place in the Core section that few other units can fill said niche.

#2: Longbeards (Dwarves)
You gotta love old people, am I right? Their inability to remember anything of relevance, their fear of things that are so not terrifying it's hilarious, but must of all their sheer stubborn will power to outlast anything and everything around them. Now imagine that, but in a race where they consider stubbornness simply a way of life. Talk about a nightmare! Longbeards are considered to be the elite infantry not by way of skill, or by way of noble birth, but by way of age. I believe the book specifically states that in time of crisis, Dwarves naturally look to the one of them with the longest beard to make the decisions for them. These guys are strong, tough, can be kitted out with either great weapons or axes and shields. They also have the Shieldwall, Relentless, and Resolute rules, meaning they get +1 to their parry save when they get charged, can't be march blocked, and hit with +1 Strength on the charge. Not only that, they also have a special rule called Old Grumblers, where any unit within 6" of them that fails a panic test can re-roll the failed test. Yes, they actually shame the unit back into position. That is fucking beautiful. How can you not love these old fellas?

#1: Ironguts (Ogre Kingdoms)
I love Ogres, the simplicity of the Ogres is something that almost brings a tear to the eye. They care about three things. Money, food, and fighting, and not in that specific order. Ironguts are really damned cool, because they're a lot more of a familiar unit for most people who don't play Ogres. See, Ogres don't really have armor. They have 3 wounds apiece (for the standard troops) and rely on that to mitigate their casualties. Ironguts are Ogre who put two and two together. Hmm! Metal plate equals stops sword, equals not getting hurt! Ironguts are like the Monstrous Infantry version of Dwarven Hammerers. Ogres are already tough as shit, but now they're hitting at S6 because the Ironguts are totting around great weapons. This is the unit that you tend to see the infamous Gut Star formation made up with. It's not that there isn't another elite infantry that they can use, but it's just that Ironguts are rightly priced and come out of the Core section, meaning you have more points to donate to other nasty things like Mournfangs and Ironblasters. They're tough, they're numerous (for Ogres), and they're scary to see across the table from you. What more can you ask from a Core unit?

So that was my Top 5 best Core units list, and I'm going to be pumping out quite a few of these lists, so stay tuned folks!        

In a Nutshell; The Lore of Shadow

Lore Attribute: Smoke and Mirrors
Once a spell from the Lore of Shadow has been successfully cast and resolved, the caster can chose to swap places with a friendly character of the same troop type anywhere within 18". This attribute is interesting to say the least. I've seen this used to nuke whole hordes or terrifying character with a Shadow-Death tag-team. It's very iffy to say the least, but it can lead to shenanigans for your opponent to deal with. I've never used this attribute at all, but my buddy Will who plays Beastmen swears by it and I'll admit it's proved difficult to deal with in the past. His Shaman pops off a Miasma and then swaps it for a nasty combat lord, screwing my plans all to hell. If you're more subtle then I am (I have an excuse, I play Bretonnia, the anti-subtle army) then this attribute may indeed prove to be helpful. As it is for me though, it's the cherry on a milkshake. Nice, but nothing that would change the enjoyment of my milkshake, which BTW brings all the boys to the yard.

Signature Spell: Melkoth's Mystifying Miasma
A Hex spell with a range of 48" and a base casting value of 5+. The targeted unit has it's Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Initiative, or Movements reduced by a D3 (to a minimum of 1) until the start of the casters next magic phase. It can be boosted to reduce all of the above mentioned stats by a singe roll of a D3 for an increased casting value of 10+. There is no game in which this spell will not be practical. It's the inverse of Wyssan's Wildform and it is most certainly every bit as effective as the latter is. Not much else I can say, but this spell is the fucking bomb. If you don't swap for it, there had better be damned good reason why. I give it a 5 out of 5, it's that damn good.

Spell #1: Steed of Shadows
An Augment spell with a range of 12" and a casting value of 5+ that can only target a friendly character or the caster him/herself. The target immediately makes a move using the Fly special rule as if it were the Remaining Moves sub-phase. I've already bitched about this spell pretty hard, so all I can say is a 2 out of 5 and always swap for Miasma.

Spell #2: The Enfeebling Foe
A Hex spell with a range of 18" and  a casting value of 10+. All models in the targeted unit have their Strength value reduced by D3 (to a minimum of 1) for the duration of the spell, which by the way is a Remains in Play spell. It can be boosted to have a range of 36" and a casting value of 13+. Yeah, this spells is pretty nice to have as if you couldn't tell. This spell can neuter units that you'll be frightened to get into combat with, and thus will almost always prove to be useful. If you roll it up, it's a pretty good spell to have in your back pocket for a quick combat adjustment before things get out of hand. I give it an easy 4 out of 5 and a recommendation not to necessarily swap it unless you're playing an all infantry based Skaven list.

Spell #3: The Withering
Another Hex spell with a range of 18" and a base casting value of 13+. It reduces the targeted unit's Toughness by D3 (to a minimum of 1) and this spell is indeed a Remains in Play spell. It can be boosted to have a range of 36" and a casting value of 16+. What can I say other than it's an inverse of Enfeebling Foe, and it's also always as equally useful as the #2 spell. I give it another 4 out of 5, and I promise to go into a bit more detail in the following spells.

Spell #4: The Penumbral Pendulum
A Direct Damage spell with a range that is equal to 6D6" in a straight line directly from the caster and a base casting value of 13+. It works like a bouncing cannonball, and any unit in the way of the line must pass an Initiative test or suffer a S10 hit with the D3 Multiple Wounds special rule. The boosted version of this spell has a range equal to double whatever is rolled on the 6D6 result for an increased casting value of 18+. I went into a lot of detail about the spell and even got a few comments on it, telling me that my position on this spell was not right. I personally believe that this spell is much more effective than Pit of Shades. It's more accurate, it can crank out tons of damage with D3 Multiple Wounds and a S10 hit. Unless whatever you're targeting has a Ward Save and/or Magic Resistance, you're going to kill whatever you target and it can be used as either a razor-like attack or a precision strike to kill of characters should you need to. Pit of Shades is a Vortex (technically), it is random and unreliable. True, it will kill whatever it hits and gives the target no chance to protect itself, but out of the ten times I cast it, it works probably three or four times out of those ten uses. Pendulum will work every time unless I roll a 1 to-wound with it. It's also got much better range. I'm not disputing the power of the Pit of Shades, but I simply like my spells to actually hit when I cast them. I give this spell a 4 out of 5.

Spell #5: Pit of Shades
A Direct Damage (technically still a Vortex) spell with a range of 24" and a base casting value of 14+. Place the small round template anywhere within 24" of the caster and then scatter it D6". All models beneath the template must pass an Initiative test or it is removed with no saves of any kind allowed. It can be boosted so that you can use the large round template for an increased casting value of 17+ and an increased scatter rate of 2D6". So this spell is like George Foreman's (circa 1970's) right straight. It may not hit, but if it does then god above help you. This spell and other like it really pick on low Initiative armies, like Lizardmen, Ogres, and Greenskins, and making other armies who can take it very, very scary. The good thing about this spell is that no matter what you face across from you, there's probably something that has at least a coin flips Initiative. It's great, I don't like to use it but I won't deny how powerful the spell is. As such, I give it a 4 out of 5.

Spell #6: Okkam's Mindrazor
This spell pretty much epitomizes everything that the Lore of Shadow is in a general sense. It's not how many models it can remove with a single spell, but how it sets up a player to be in such a great tactical position. After all, is it better to be smart or lucky? This spell is an Augment spell with a range of 18" and a casting value of 18+. It's very difficult to get off, but for good reason. What this spell does is it allows the targeted unit to use their Leadership value instead of their Strength (any bonuses from weapons like great weapons or two-handed weapons are ignored) when rolling to-wound with all close combat attacks and lasts until the start of the caster's next magic phase. This spell can be boosted to have a range of 36" for an increased casting value of 21+. Now, this spell is really nice but it got even better per the last FAQ I read on BRB magic. Per the FAQ, this allows the unit to use their General's Leadership value if their within the Inspiring Presence aura when the spell goes off. Meaning, Elves and Undead can now hit at S10. That is very scary. This spell is one of those that will turn even experienced players into fanatics who chuck all their dice to stop this spell at all costs. It would be perfect, if it wasn't so expensive to cast. Even with a Level 4, you'll need at least four dice to cast the base version, and that's just to get it off without worrying about your opponent chucking a scroll or enough dice to shut it down. The risk/reward payoff is huge, so I would seriously suggest keeping this spell should you need it.

Lore of Shadow is perhaps the most versatile and popular lore in the current meta of Warhammer Fantasy, and for good reason! Shadow is a very flexible, and thus I can suggest fielding it in anyway you see fit. You can run the Level 4 in the bunker casting Okkam's and Pit to clear entire regiments, or a Level 1 and/or 2 rocking Miasma or any other of the Hex spells in this lore to debuff this shit out of your enemy. Either way, it works. It works pretty well in all kinds of lists too. Whether you're running an offensive or defensive army, the Lore of Shadow has spells that will help out with your strategy. Again, beware of Vampire Counts when they have a wizard on this lore, because S10 Zombies are fucking terrifying. A lot of people consider this the best lore in the game, and there is plenty of evidence to prove this point. I should also note that Lore of Shadows combos very well with other lores, especially with Dark Magic and Death Magic from my experience. Great lore, if you have access to it, take it.      

In a Nutshell; The Lore of Life

Lore Attribute: Lifebloom
This is perhaps the second best lore attribute in all the lores of the BRB. When a Lore of Life spell is successfully cast the caster or another friendly model within 12" instantly recovers a single wound lost earlier in the battle. This is a really nice attribute because it makes miscasts and challenges in combat a lot less dangerous for your characters, meaning you can be free to be a little more cavalier with your characters. When you're playing Bretonnia, this is an especially nice thing, because it means your Lord can endure multiple challenges without having to be afraid of the entire unit losing the Blessing Save. I really like it, and if you talk to a lot of people who run the Lore of Life, they'll tell you how nice it truly is.

Signature Spell: Earth Blood
An Augment spell that targets only the unit the wizard is in and the wizard himself. It gives them the Regeneration (5+) special rule until the start of the caster's next magic phase. I would love this spell if it was only not restricted to the caster and the unit he's in. If it had a range, something like 12", I would be all over this spell. As it is, the spell's weakness just makes it not the highest ranking spell of all time. I give it a personal rating of 3 out of 5.

Spell #1: Awakening of the Wood
A Direct Damage spell with a range of 18" and a base casting value of 6+. It causes D6 S4 hits and if the target is even partially within a forest the hits are increased to 2D6 hits. Something you'll learn very quickly is that the Lore of Life is even less of an offensive lore then the Lore of Light. Hell, only two of the spells can be boosted for further output! However, this spell has increased in efficiency immensely since the 8th edition army book for the Wood Elves has come out. The tactic of putting a caster in the woods for getting +1 for casting is very powerful and very effective. So this can be a nice way to pop that little fucker out from someplace he thinks is safe. It can clear chaff and other nuisances up as well, but as far as Direct Damage spells go, this one is not all that and a bag of chips. I give it a 2 out of 5, with a suggestion to swap for it if given the opportunity.

Spell #2: Flesh to Stone
An Augment spell with a range of 24" and a base casting value of 8+. The target unit gets +2 to its Toughness until the start of the caster's next magic phase. Yeah, this spell is in fact beyond awesome. Turn wimpy, squishy, little T3 Elves into rock-solid units that can turn aside most attacks the the enemy can crank out at you. Increasing your units' Toughness is never a bad thing, and to top it off it's cheap enough to throw two dice just to draw a few dispel dice, a scroll, or get +2 Toughness. Either way, it's a win-win situation for the person putting this spell out. Great spell, I give it a 5 out of 5. It's that fucking awesome.

Spell #3: Throne of Vines
This spell is, odd to say the least. It's an Augment spell that targets only the caster. For an 8+, it does a lot of shit, so strap in and prepare to read. While in effect, this spell allows the caster to ignore miscasts on a D6 so long as he/she rolls a 2+ on the die. In addition, the caster gets to boost all his spells in the following ways; Earth Blood increases the Regeneration bonus to a 4+, Awakening of the Wood hits at S6, Flesh to Stone increases your Toughness by +4, Regrowth restores D6+1 wounds, and Shield of Thornes inflict S4 hits. This spell is nice because there is only one way to run Lore of Life. On a Level 4 caster. The synergistic feel of this lore lends itself to maximizing it's efficiency on the more spells you can have on a single caster. This spell help already maximize the power of the spells in your repertoire. I've already said my bit on how this spell isn't as big a deal as most people make it up to be, but it is really nice if you can keep it up and just ram magic down your enemy's throat and six dice Dweller's Below like it's going out of style. I give it a 4 out 5.

Spell #4: Shield of Thorns
An Augment spell with a range of 24" and a casting value of 9+ that remains in play. At the end of each magic phase, an enemy unit in base contact with the targeted unit of the spell receives 2D6 S3 hits. This spell is nice if Throne of Vines is up, because S4 is actually worth something. However, there is something that just makes this spells so weak, and this is it that it requires synergy in order to actually work. Synergy is great and all, but this spell is very weak because it cannot function without Throne of Vines at all. I give it a 1 out of 5, it's pretty shitty all and all.

Spell #5: Regrowth
An Augment spell with a range of 24" and a base casting value of 12+. The targeted unit instantly recovers D3+1 wounds worth of models (cavalry counts as 2 models for the purpose of the spell). The wounds are recovered in order, meaning you start with the champion, the musician, but the standard banner is never resurrected. This spell can never be used to increase a unit beyond its starting size. The spell can be boosted to have a range of 48" for an increased casting value of 15+. This spell is obviously the shit, as if you couldn't tell that. Especially in low model-count armies, this spell can really help you deal with numerical deficits that do not swing in your favor. As a result, this spell is really, really great for Bretonnia. Keep Regrowing the champion to play challenge games for a riot of time. My only suggestion for this spell is to make sure you have Throne of Vines up before you cast this spell. However, that should be fairly fucking obvious to anyone with a goddamned brain. I know I bitched and moaned about this spell about how it is overrated, but it is still effective. This is the only spell I would insist on having Throne of Vines for, besides Shield of Thorns if you have a real hard-on for that spell. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Spell #6: The Dwellers Below
Oh yes, if you've played more than two games against the Lore of Life, you have seen and felt the pain of this spell. Unlike a lot of spells, this one has actually gotten more powerful the farther and farther we get into 8th edition because of the prevalence of  Elves in the current meta. This spell is a Direct Damage with a range of 12" and a casting value of an 18+. Every model in the targeted unit must pass a Strength test or be slain with no saves of any kind allowed. The caster can choose to increase the range of this spell to 24" for an increased casting value of 21+. No saves of any kind allowed. This is the best way to nuke that annoying unit of White Lions or Phoenix Guard with the Banner of the Bullshit Dragon. It's even better against Dark Elves, arguably the best army in the game right now, because they have the better saves of the three Elven races. This is an absolutely sure fire way to remove that terrifying horde of Witch Elves from off the board. This spell is also really good at removing the bottom tier armies, like Beastmen, like Tomb Kings, like dear Bretonnia. It's the one super-bomb spell in the Lore of Life, and it is absolutely beautiful. I give it a 5 out of 5, a perfect spell in my mind. It has the damage output of Pit of Shades and Purple Sun and an accuracy that's much better than all of the Vortex spells in the game.

This lore relies very, very heavily upon synergy, but in a much different way than the Lore of Light relies on it. While the Lore of Light works best on a few casters of lower levels and/or a single Lord-level character, Lore of Life needs to have a caster that can dish out at a minimum of three spells, preferably four. This is the lore that when it works, is a terrifying thing to deal with. The ability to throw a bullshit spell out and then no longer give a fuck about miscasts is a very dangerous thing to deal with. However, if you get the wrong combination of spells, this lore becomes very cumbersome, very quickly. Thus, it's best to be able to draw out as many spells as you can, increasing the likelihood of you getting a better combination. I like this lore and I am very familiar with it, so just keep that in mind.
     

In a Nutshell; The Lore of Light

Lore Atteibute: Exorcism
Besides just being an awesome movie Exorcism is also a pretty cool lore attribute that dictates that whenever a spell from the Lore of Light inflicts a number of hits on an enemy unit that is either Undead or Daemonic, then it will cause an extra D6 hits on top of whatever is already being inflicted. D6 goes to 2D6, 2D6 goes to 3D6, you get the gist of it. This is pretty nice if you play a lot of Vampire Counts and.or Daemons of Chaos, and it can be nice if you want to drop a Daemon Prince from flying around and jerking himself off with a Purple Sun. However, it's kind of like Roiling Skies in the sense that it's much too selective for my tastes. Also, as a side note, this Lore Attribute does not work on Tomb Kings, since Tomb Kings are Nehekharan Undead and not Undead. Just something to keep in mind if you ever play Tomb Kings.

Signature Spell: Shem's Burning Gaze
This is a Magic Missile spell with a range of 24" and a base casting value of 5+. It inflicts D6 S4 hits on the target, and these hits also counts as Flaming Attacks. You can boost this spell to have a range of 48" and increase its Strength value from 4 to 6, for an increased casting value of 15+. Because of the very defensive nature of this lore, Shem's can be a nice pocket-shotgun to have in your hand should you find yourself in the need to whittle down a few guys across from you. It can also work well if you refuse to put a Banner of Eternal Flame on one of your units and you find yourself in need of removing Regeneration off of a few Trolls or a Chimera. Due to the lore attribute, this spell is especially deadly against MSU style Daemons lists. The upgrade in Strength is nice, but it is an expensive tax to make it higher. For that reason alone, I give this spell a 3 out of 5. Still a good spell to swap for if you roll up some of the stinkers in this lore.

Spell #1: Pha's Protection
An Augment spell with a range of 24" and a casting value of 6+, this spell makes all attacks (both shooting and close combat) that target the unit it augments suffer a -1 penalty to-hit until the start of the caster's next magic phase. Shooting attacks that don't use a BS base must roll a 4+ on a D6 before firing or the shot is considered to be lost. It can be boosted to effect all friendly units within 12" for a higher casting value of 12+. This is a decent spell if you play a lot of Gun Line armies. It can shield things that might be susceptible to artillery, making monsters and mounted characters a much more viable option. -1 to-hit is also a nice boon, so if you get to the point where all your units are engaged and are fairly close to each other, than this is a great way to turn the tide. Again, -1 to-hit is nothing to ignore. It's what makes Nurgle so damned scary. it is by no means the best spell around, but it's nice to have and will almost always be viable in any situation you're in. However, Lore of Light suffers from a syndrome that is beginning to spread to all 8 standard lores. There's something out there that does it better for less, and in this case, it's Shield of Saphery (the High Elves lore attribute for High Magic). However, if you don't play High Elves, then this is a great substitute. I give it a personal 2.5 out of 5, I hate doing decimals, but this spell is really deserving of it because I'm very in the middle of the road about it.

Spell #2: The Speed of Light
Remember how I mentioned about things being out there that do more for less? Well, this spell is a great example. It's another Augment spell with a range of 24" and a casting value of 8+. It gives the targeted unit Weapon Skill 10 and Initiative 10 until the start of the caster's next magic phase. It can be boosted to effect all friendly units within 12" for an increased casting value of 16+. This spell's power is mitigated by two very distinct things that are very prevalent in Warhammer right now. First off, there are three entire armies that are universally ASF in nature. Initiative 10 means nothing when those letters are special rules for what's across from you. All it does is negate their re-rolls, which is nice, but it isn't exactly that awesome in the grand scheme of things. Also, there's a spell in this lore that gives your units ASF, so in comparison to that this spells itself is very lackluster. However, WS 10 is pretty nice. It means that against pretty much everything you'll be hitting on 2's and only getting hit on 6's. Not that great for characters or small bricks of big infantry, but for hordes, this is really quite an effective spell. If you like keeping your battle lines tight and in order, then a bubbled out version of this spell is always very effective. I personally give it a 3 out of 5 myself.

Spell #3: Light of Battle
An Augment spell with a range of 12" that grants the following bonuses to the targeted unit; it automatically rallies the unit if it is fleeing and makes the unit pass all Leadership tests regardless of the modifiers until the start of the caster's next magic phase. This is all for a casting value of 9+. It can be boosted to encompass all units within 12" for a boosted casting value of 18+. I am not a big fan of this spell, because I have an army that's on LD 9 with a re-roll and Cold Blooded. I'm not going to say that Leadership isn't very important to me, but it's not as if I'm playing an all Goblin army, you know what I'm saying? If you play Empire, and you're afraid that some of your lower Leadership units won't hold all that well, then you should cast this spell as full-proof safety-net. Other than that, it's never really had any other use for me on the battlefield. I'll give it a 2 out of 5, but only because it can be used as a last resort to keeping a unit in the game.

Spell #4: Net of Amyntok
Finally, something that isn't a Hex spell! This spell has a range of 24" and a casting value of 10+. After the spell is cast, the target unit must pass a Strength test every time it moves. This includes charging, marching, fleeing, reforming, compulsory movement, any other kind of movement, shoots, or casts spells until the start or the next magic phase. If the test is failed the unit is unable to to perform the desired action and remains in place, taking D6 S4 hits from the net. If the test is passed, the unit may act normally. The caster can choose to boost the range of this spell to 48" for an increased casting value of 13+. This spell is fucking metal against S3 Elves and Daemons. I am a very big fan of this spell as a whole not because of its direct power, but because of what it does in combination with the rest of the spells of this lore. By itself, this spell is a very tactical choice. It can stop chaff and blocks of infantry in their tracks, putting your opponent's strategy all out of whack. I really like this, especially in combination with how this lore works. It's a little hard to explain, but when you look at the rest of the spells and how the Lore of Light is used as a whole. I give it a 3 out 5, because it does rely heavily on the synergy of Light magic in order to be effective.

Spell #5: Banishment
Ah, here it is. The spell that's gotten me so much hate from Lore of Light fanboys. As many of you know, there are entire army lists made around this spell, and here's why. It's a Magic Missile with a range of 24" that causes the target to suffer 2D6 hits with a Strength value equal to 4 plus the number of wizards that know spells from the Lore of Light within 12" of the caster. This doesn't include the caster him/herself. Successful Ward Saves made against this spell must be re-rolled. It can be boosted to have a range of 48" for an increased casting value of 13+. As you know, this spell is what makes the Empire Light Counsel so damned deadly, especially since it's one of the only spells that can hurt anything with the Banner of the World Dragon in it. I pretty much already did my bit on this spell in my Top 5 Most Overrated Spells list, so go look it up there. I give it a 3 out 5, but that's because it's at least still strong enough to damage most things in addition to being able to crank a lot of damage provided you have a few Light casters in your army.

Spell #6: Birona's Timewarp
An Augment spell with a range of 12" and a casting value of 12+. Until the start of the caster's next magic phase the targeted unit has its Movement doubled  and its Attack(s) increased by 1. In addition the unit gets ASF for the same duration the other effects of the spell. It can be boosted to effect all friendly units within 12" for an increased casting value of 24+. This spell is incredibly awesome, as if I have to say that to you people! This spell can turn Empire Halberdiers into a meat grinder, and even better units into things of shear awesomeness! Trust me, I use to run a Slann on Light in 7th edition, and I would have Chaos Warriors hesitant to go into a unit of Saurus Warriors or Temple Guard when I whipped out this spell. This is a #6 spell that is certainly worth it's weight in gold, and in a multi-unit combat, the boosted version of this spell can change the tide of the battle. The key is to use this spell as you would for the majority of the spells in this lore. I give it a 4 out 5, and it is most certainly an excellent spell to be keeping in your hand.

So overall, this lore is not the best one out of BRB, but there is a certain synergy that exists in it that makes it quite a powerful thing to be wielding. The three armies that come to mind when I think of this lore, are the Empire, Lizardmen, and the Tomb Kings. This lore is not a tool that works well on the offensive. Unless you're going full-tilt on the Empire Light Counsel with the War Altar, this lore should be taken when your overall strategy is to sit and wait for the enemy to come to you. If Dwarves were to be incarnated in a magical lore, then it would be the Lore of Light. These armies are able to bring large amount of troops to battle, but these troops lack in compared to some of the more elite things out there. Thus, giving them advantages like ASF, WS10, and for all intents and purposes Unbreakable, it makes for have a battle line that will, if played correctly, will not buckle but will instead repel anything it comes into contact with. It also has a few tricks up it's nonexistent sleeve, like Shem's, Banishment, and Net of Amyntok, making for a lore that is semi-balanced but certainly still a lore that is designed primarily to be used on the defense.  

In a Nutshell; The Lore of Heavens

Lore Attribute; Roiling Skies
This is by far the least beneficial attribute we've seen so far in this series so far. Whenever a spell from the Lore of Heavens targets an enemy unit or a model with the Fly special rule, the unit suffers D6 S4 hits in addition to the effects caused by the spell itself. Now, to be fair I actually have been using this lore attribute to be very useful, but that's because I've been playing my Daemons buddy a lot recently with my Bretonnians for tournament preparation. Blasting his Furies with Wind Blast and the watching his chaff melt with Roiling Skies is absolutely hilarious. If you deal with a lot of chaff that can fly and mess with your stuff, then this can be really a helpful. However, it's a bit too specific for me to definitively say that this is a useful Lore Attribute.

Signature Spell: Iceshard Bizzard
This is a Hex spell with a range of 24" that goes off on a roll of a 7+. The targeted unit suffers a -1 to-hit penalty for all to-hit rolls and it also suffers a -1 to it's Leadership until the start of the caster's next Magic Phase. Shooting attacks that do no use Ballistic Skill stats to shoot (cannons, Terrorgheist screams) must roll a 4+ on a D6 before firing or the shot is considered to be lost. This spell can be boosted to have a range of 48" for an increased casting value of 10+. Again, much like Flaming Sword of Rhuin it's not what this spell does, but it's the amount of things it does for the casting value that makes this spell a great one to have in your magical toolbox. Ask a Nurgle player how much -1 to-hit rocks, and you will have your answer as to why this spell is nice. It's a cheap way to shut down cannons, make a nasty combat a little less scary, and even dick around a little bit with your enemy's leadership. Again, all of these things by themselves is very inconsequential, but when rolled into one spell it makes a very handy, very effective spell that can be useful in almost every game you will ever have. Great to switch too if you get one of the stinkers in this lore.

Spell #1: Harmonic Convergence
This is an Augment spell with a range of 24" and a base casting value of 6+. The targeted unit/model re-rolls all to-hit, to-wound, and armor saves that have a rolled value of 1. This can be boosted to include all friendly units within 12" for a boosted casting value of 12+. This spells seems really nice, but unless you're running a horde style army that's making a lot of rolls, this spell is not necessarily very good. It's by no means the worst spell in Warhammer, but it's not a spell that would make me jump up in joy and rapture. Particularly if I'm running Bretonnia where I'm not putting out too many attacks from my Lances anyway, really kind of a waste. Not that good of a spell, I give it a 2 out 5.

Spell #2: Wind Blast
This spell is a Direct Damage spell with a range of 24" with a base casting value of 7+. Now, I will put a little disclaimer before I go any further with this spell. I originally I hated this spell, I could not possibly have ever thought this was a good idea. Until I started playing Bretonnia. What this spell does is it "pushes" the targeted unit D3+1" directly away from the caster. If the target comes into contact with impassible terrain, it stops 1" away from the terrain an inflicts D6 S3 hits. If it comes into contacts with another unit, both units suffer D6 S3 hits. Targets that cannot move are not pushed back but still suffer D6 S3 hits. This spell can be boosted to inflict D6+2 hits instead of D3+1 for a casting value of 14+. This is perhaps the most tactical spell in all of Warhammer Fantasy. Movement is such a pivotal part of the game that it really determines who wins and who loses. Especially for Bretonnia, where our entire army is reliant on distance, anything that puts your enemy out of a charge arc but still within a makeable charge on your part is an invaluable tool for Bretonnia. I love this spell, and I'll admit I'm a bit biased because I play a very obscure army so I will say this spell is not for everyone. For some armies, this spell does nothing, but for other people like myself, this spell is awesome. I'll give it a safe 3 out of 5.

Spell #3: Curse of the Midnight Wind
Another Hex spell that has a range of 24" and a base casting value of 10+. The target must re-roll all 6's when rolling to-hit, to-wound, and armor saves until the start of the casters next magic phase. It can be boosted to target all enemy units within 12" of the of the caster for an increased casting value of 20+. This spell is really kind of unimpressive unless you combo it with Harmonic Convergence. Both of these spells do have one key tactical use that I failed to mention in Harmonic Convergence. In a timed tournament, these spells can really help waste the clock, like a run play in football. All those re-rolls take up time and can mean the difference between a minor loss and a major loss if it can stop your horde from getting completely massacred within the given time for the battle. I give this spell a 2 out of 5, I personally swap it for Iceshard when given the opportunity.

Spell #4: Urannon's Thunderbolt
A Magic Missile with a range of 24" that causes D6 S6 hits on a base casting value of a 10+. It can be boosted to have a range of 48" for an increased casting value of 13+. While most Magic Missiles can be used to remove Fast Cavalry and other chaff, Urannon's Thunderbolt can be used to remove Monster Cavalry. At S6, anything that gets his is taking a -3 penalty to their armor and at S6 there's not too much out there that's going to be confident enough in its Toughness to block this. For a 10+ value, this is a damned steal of a Magic Missile, and this is easily a first turn cast if you boost it. If there are any lone characters mounted by themselves (even better if it's a Dragon or some other kind of Flying mount) make an attempt to hit them with this and just laugh as they get liquified by the spell. I really like this spell, because there's not too much that this spell won't kill. As with most Magic Missiles, it's not very effective against large hordes or bricks of infantry. Against things that rely heavily on an armor save though, this spells is very scary to them. I give it a 4 out 5, and if you like rocking out to Heavens magic, I highly suggest this spell.

Spell #5: Comet of Casandora
There are many players I know who argue that the bomb spell in the Lore of Shadows is not Okkam's Mindrazor, but is actually Pit of Shades. I can agree to some point with that argument, because I agree with the cornerstone of that particular argument. Numerical spell placement does not dictate spell power. Comet is the true king of the Lore of Heavens. I splurged on this spell in a later list, so if you really want to know my long-winded explanation and adoration of the Comet, then go see my Top 5 Favorite Spells list. 5 out of 5, best spell in this lore and possibly the best out of the 8 standard lores.

Spell #6: Chain Lightning
A Direct Damage spell with a range of 24" and a base casting value of 15+. The unit targeted takes D6 S6 hits and when the damage has been resolved roll a D6. On a 3+, choose another enemy unit within 6" of the original target. That new unit suffers D6 S6 hits as well. Keep repeating this until a roll to carry on is failed or there are no more viable targets. Note that a unit can only be subject to Chain Lightning once per Magic Phase. This spell is really effective against any armies that like to castle, like Dwarves, Chaos Dwarves, certain Skaven and Empire lists, etc. because their stuff will be very close together. If you want to get really tricky too, you can cast this on an Engineer and then have this jump to the artillery pieces he's rubbing his dick all over. If Comet seems a bit too blunt for your tastes to handle artillery pieces, then this spell is really nice because most people I play keep their artillery pieces within 3" of an Engineer (should they take one) meaning you can jump from artillery piece to artillery piece and just keep laughing all the way. Very situational and to be honest not nearly as good as a boosted Urannon's and it's also not as cheap to cast. I give it a solid 3 out 5.

So in conclusion, what do I think about the Lore of Heavens? Well, I think it's quite a bit of a sleeper lore of sorts. You see, in an era where Gun Lines are still reigning supreme there is a need for a lore that can shut down artillery. That comes in the form of Heavens magic. Whether you cast Iceshard to make their cannons have a harder time, or you simply go the more elegant way of nuking their cannons and other war machines with spells like Comet or Chain Lightning this lore in my mind has its primary focus in stopping artillery and overall just being a complete pain in the ass for your opponent to deal with. Unless you're running Bretonnia, I wouldn't necessarily advise running a Level 4 on Heavens, since you can always swap to Iceshard and maximize you're efficiency in the task of being a thorn in the side of your enemy. Level 1's and 2's work best, but if you want to have some fun run a Lord-level caste on it sometime.