Thanks to Games Workshop for sending us these rules and the Skaventide box set for review. Over the coming weeks, we will be having experts provide insight into how they are building and running lists with each faction in Age of Sigmar. For this overview, we’re looking at what stands out for each faction, how much has changed, and how we might approach some key challenges on the tabletop.

Faction Pack Overview

Once again, Orruks march hand in hand to war with the most organized force on planet earth. Despite Ironjawz and Kruleboyz sharing a faction together the only crossover between the two armies is Kragnos, a decidedly non-orruk model. We’ve decided to divide up these forces.

As a Kruleboyz player from the jump this full rewrite is going to be welcomed by Kruleboyz and their opponents. If you are a Kruleboyz player your time has come. All of the wishing, hoping, and wanting a full rewrite has been answered with one of the most significant rules departures in the new index system. Kruleboyz have moved from a slow and plodding army reliant on a counterstrike to a teleporting nightmare full of tricks that take advantage of the new rules. While they do retain a fair bit of shooting the army is far more open from an army building and play style with little used units like the Marshcrawla Sloggoth and Murknob having prominent buffing abilities. 

Sneaky Dirty Tricks

This is one of the best types of rules that mini games can provide. It has elements of randomness, the ability to influence that randomness, effects that have a big impact on the game, and they’re something that lets you try again if you’ve failed unlike the current version. There are four dirty tricks that can be attempted on a 2+. During each Battle Round (your turn and the opponent’s turn) each dirty trick makes the roll more difficult to a maximum of 5+. The tricks are:

• Venom Encrusted Weapons ((Once Per Turn, Your Hero Phase (Army))- Pick a Kruleboyz Infantry unit and make a dirty trick roll. If successful until your next turn that unit scores critical hits on a roll of a 5+. 
• Sneaky Sneakin’ ((Once Per Turn Any Movement Phase (Army)) Pick a Kruleboyz Infantry unit with 10 or fewer models that is not in combat and make a dirty trick roll. If successful, set it up wholly within 3” of a terrain feature and more than 9” from all enemy units.
• Lethal Surprise ((Once Per Turn Any Charge Phase (Army)): Pick an enemy unit that charged and is in combat with any friendly kruleboyz unit and make a dirty trick roll. If successful, that unit takes D3 mortal damage and your unit cannot be affected by Charge (+1 Damage) weapons.
• Noisy Racket ((Once Per Turn Any Combat Phase (Army)): Pick an enemy unit in combat with any friendly Kruleboyz unit and make a dirty trick roll. If successful the target has Strike-Last for the rest of the turn.

With the exception of a formation below none of the units or abilities modify the dirty tricks meaning you have seven potential opportunities in a battle round. If you are going first in the round you’ll most likely be able to get Venom Encrusted Weapons and Sneaky Sneakin’ off in your turn and you’ve will be able to add some defensive buffs from other abilities. If you are going second you can focus on Noisy Racket and Lethal Surprise for defense or Sneaky Sneakin’ to set up some of the harder battle tactics like Take Their Land, and Take The Flanks.

Kruleboyz no longer have, or need, Venom Encrusted Weapons but all of the melee units (excluding companions) have the Crit (Mortal) ability.  Your Killbow and Man-skewer Boltboyz have Crit (Autowound) in keeping with the removal of mortal damage shooting from the game.

Battle Formations

Kruleboyz have four formations and all of them have some potential and flavor.  

• Swamp Shroud: Kruleboyz wholly within 3” of a terrain feature are not visible to units that are more than 12” away from them.
• Far-Killa Bolts: In your shooting phase up to three friendly Man-skewer Boltboyz or Beast-skewer Killbow units can get an additional 3” of range.
• Ded Sneaky: You can use the “Sneaky Sneakin” Dirty Trick ability twice per turn instead of only once per turn.
• Meanest Beasts. Companion weapons have Crit (2 hits).

My favorite subfaction and the one that I’m testing out first is the Ded Sneaky. The ability to move units out of the way of a charge and setup a countercharge or setup for Take Their Land is too tempting to pass up. Meanest Beasts might not look as strong but considering that 9 of the Kruleboyz warscrolls have companion weapons that are often the best hitting profile the numbers don’t lie and they spell disaster for your opponent.

Heroic Traits

Egomaniack returns giving access to a 4+ bodyguard ward that must be allocated to a non-hero Kruleboyz infantry unit. 

Slippery Skumbag is much improved, allowing your unit to retreat on a 3+ in any combat phase. In addition to sneaking out when you’re charged it allows you to use the old ironjaws mighty destroyers trick to charge with a unit, retreat them out of combat, and then pile-in and fight. I’d be keen to use it on a Killaboss on Corpse-Rippa Vulcha to take advantage of the mortal damage on the charge and 12” free movement. 

Backstabba is a new ability that requires an enemy hero and another unit to be in combat at the end of the turn and inflict D3 mortal damage. For each additional unit in combat you inflict an additional mortal damage. While I like this ability it feels a little fiddly to try to set up and the timing, at the end of the turn, means both of your units and the target have to have gotten through the entire phase.

I want to pick Backstabba and likely will attempt it in a few practice games but Kruleboyz don’t lack for mortal damage output and Slippery Skumbag is so improved, with so much flexibility I can’t imagine it’s not a default choice.

Artefacts of Power

Once again we see two returning Artefacts with a new Artefact.

Eye-biter Ash (Once per Battle Combat Phase): Pick a single unit in combat with this unit and subtract 1 from hit and wound rolls for the rest of the turn. While it keeps a once per game qualifier it is very much improved by removing the dice roll and adding the negative to wound. 

Mork’s Eye Pebble (Once Per Battle, You opponent Declares an Attack): For the rest of the turn friendly Kruleboyz have a ward 5+ unit the end of the turn. Again, much improved since it lasts until the end of the turn.

Swamp Staff (Passive): If this unit is not a wizard it can use the “Unbind” ability as if hit had Wizard (1). Otherwise add 1 to this unit’s power level.

All of these artefacts are good and can be comfortable chosen. With the addition of manifestation lores the additional unbind is welcome but I’m partial to shifting the odds with the Eye-biter Ash as the default artefact. If I’m taking more than 1 wizard the Swamp Staff might be an option but Kruleboyz don’t have a non-foot wizard to get into position and take advantage of the extra spell.

Spell Lore

Da Black Pit (5 Unlimited): This spell has a range of 18” and if successful you roll a number of dice equal to the models in the unit and inflict 1 mortal damage for each 6.

Choking Mist (7): This spell has a range of wholly within 18” and if successful subtract 1 from the attacks characteristic of weapons until your next turn.

Mork’s Kunnin’ (6): It’s the old mystic shield. +1 to save.

Overall these spells are fine. Longtime Kruleboyz players are going to miss summon boggy mists and the ability to hit multiple units and remove the “run” ability with Choking Mist. 

As Kruleboyz don’t have any manifestation lores I’d recommend looking at the Aetherwrought Machineries lore for access to the ability to reroll charges.

Key Warscrolls

Marshcrawla Sloggoth: My new number 1 guy plays extremely well into the rules of this edition and increases the mobility of Kruleboyz units. Instead of giving a bonus to hit from drumming he now gives the ability to let Kruleboyz Infantry units use charge ability even if they used a run ability in the same turn. Since this is a passive ability you’re able to redeploy and setup for a countercharge with a nice big block of Gutrippaz and just ruin your opponents turn. Combined with the Chronomatic Cogs for a reroll and you’re golden. There is a weird combination where you run two of these, two breaka bosses, and a ton of gutrippaz and just see how many models come off the table.

Killaboss On Corpse Rippa Vulcha: With a 12” move and 14 wounds this unit remains a bully in the first degree that doesn’t rely on set-up shenanigans to move around. Commanding view has been changed to allow a unit of Gutrippaz a 4” minimum move instead of a reroll. He has a rampage that allows you to roll a dice for the unmodified charge roll and for each 4+ inflict a mortal damage on a unit. The real sauce is the combination of a few different abilities and how they interact in the core rules. If you give him the “Slippery Skumbag” command trait you can charge in, retreat and move 12”, and then pile into another unit in combat. Afterwards, you can power through to move again.

Swampboss Skumdrekk: Like the traditional Sludgeraker this unit has lost the ability to enhance Crit(Mortals) but has gained a few other abilities. This unit was a Sludgeraker that couldn’t take advantage of enhancements with a weird and thematic bet mechanic for a triumph. Now, his Kountin’ Krew of hobgrots get Crit (Mortal) while they are wholly within’ 12” of this unit. Additionally, all Hobgrots get an additional +1 to wound with their slittas against the “Bet” target for the entire game. His last targets monsters in combat and inflicts additional mortal damage based on how much damage the target has.

Man-Skewer Boltboyz: Boltboyz will go down as one of the more divisive Kruleboyz units from last edition. Some people insist they are a key unit in dealing damage while others contend that they cost too much for six wounds that were extremely slow. The new version has lost Crit (Mortal) on shooting and see it replaced with Crit (auto-wound). While the hasty shot remains the same, with a 12” range, 2 attacks, 4/1/1/2, the Aimed Shot has 18” range and is now a 3/3/2/2. Unlike before you are able to select what shot you are using for the unit so the effective range of the aimed shot is 23”. If you don’t move you or get set up you can add 1 to hit rolls for the unit for the rest of the turn.

Final Thoughts

There is a lot to unpack from a full reading of the faction pack an this represents a full rewrite of the Kruleboyz faction in a way that most players and opponents will like. The lore matches up much better with the allegiance abilities and without the distraction of Big Waagh! or being an ally to other units Kruleboyz are able to focus on different units providing different synergies. The best part is that while some abilities might not be great, nothing is as bad as the old Skullbugz subfaction.  Screening and board control on both sides will be extremely important and instead of managing poison and elixir tokens.

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