Dirge of the Great Hegemon
In the annals of the Great War two mighty Hegemons of the Cult of the Black Grail have risen: Yersinia Rex, Emperor of Pestilence, and Febris, the Rotting Bride of Beelzebub. Each was eventually destroyed, but at an unimaginable cost to the forces of the Great-Tyrant YHWH whom the Lord of the Flies seeks to overthrow. Even the great Paladin Engelier, the Sword of Heaven, died when confronting the might of a Hegemon.
With the ascension of a Hegemon, the hideous power of the Cult of the Black Grail is exalted. Beelzebub grows sleek and fat, and like a magnanimous king, bestows blessings and gifts upon his most favoured children. Beelzebub’s insidious grip over his Grail Thralls greatly increases. They move with more grace and the exalted blessings of the Grail opens their ruined minds, allowing them to truly witness the rotting glory of the Lord of the Flies and enabling them to understand more complex weaponry. In turn, the nobles that make up the ranks of the Order of the Fly are given kingly gifts from their mighty liege.
Full of the ascendant power of the Cult of the Black Grail, how miserable they become when their Hegemon lord falls in battle. Each Hegemon is unique, thus when slain it can never be re-created. The ecstasy of the Plague Knights in the service of their dread ruler sinks into the deepest despair from which there is no escape. Their strain of the Cult of the Black Grail is shunned by others of their kind, and they are no longer welcome at Ekron, the city of Beelzebub. They are cast out from the Order of the Fly for their failure. The Hegemon’s strain of disease continues to spread and create Thralls, but they are born into a world bereft of their sires, leaving them hopeless and desolate.
The eyes of the Plague Knights continuously weep cold black blood as they cry for their lost dark paradise that will never be again. The tantalising dream of a great flood of pestilence that cleanses the Earth is lost forever. Their mournful wails echo and reverberate through No Man’s Land, a cry of sorrow deeper than any mortal can feel, and agonising rage of black hatred that no mortal comprehends. They compose mournful paeans to their lost Hegemon - beautiful yet disturbing songs that promise nothing but neverending death.
Such shattered remains of the once-mighty legions of the Hegemon take their vengeance on any opponent regardless of their allegiance, even throwing themselves at other Cult of the Black Grail warbands in futile acts of regret, trying to feel pain that would at least momentarily dull their aching feeling of loss. But no such hope exists in their eternal damnation.
These bands made up of the strains of fallen Hegemons’ once-mighty legions form everlasting funeral processions for their dead masters. Echoing cries and dirges accompany their solemn steps, taking them from nowhere to nowhere. Their eyes are forever stained by the foul tears of the Cult of the Black Grail, and their skin turns black and sloughs off, hanging in tatters like funereal garb. They seek lost artefacts and broken shards of armour and weapons of their lost liege, fashioning disturbing and rusted jewellery from these remains where the Hegemon’s power still lingers beyond the grave. Few things that haunt No Man’s Land are more dangerous - or more ghastly - than these corruption-ridden echoes of the dark past, for these profane funeral processions will last until time itself is no more.
Faction Rules
Some Cult of the Black Grail Weapons have the INFECTION MARKERS Keyword. These Weapons cause INFECTION MARKERS (instead of BLOOD MARKERS) to be placed next to the target.
An INFECTION MARKER works in a similar way to a BLOOD MARKER, except that they grow and multiply over time if left untreated.
INFECTION MARKERS are placed next to a model in the same way as a BLOOD MARKER. A model may have up to six INFECTION MARKERS and up to six BLOOD MARKERS at the same time. We recommend you use different coloured dice (the more disgusting the better!) to represent INFECTION MARKERS.
An INFECTION MARKER can be used in the same way as a BLOOD MARKER; for example, it can be spent to modify Success Rolls and Injury Rolls, and/ or to convert an Injury Roll to a Bloodbath Roll. Additionally, you can combine BLOOD MARKERS and INFECTION MARKERS to affect the same roll or to cause a Bloodbath.
Rules that allow a BLOOD MARKER to be removed from a model cannot be used to remove an INFECTION MARKER unless specifically noted otherwise.
If there are one or more INFECTION MARKERS next to a model when the model is Activated, place 1 more INFECTION MARKER next to the model before it carries out any Actions.
Using the remnants of the lingering power of a fallen Hegemon, a Plague Knight of the Warband can directly command a nearby Bereaved. An Executor or Plague Knight in a Dirge of the Great Hegemon Warband can take a Command Bereaved ACTION. If it does so, you can remove any number of INFECTION MARKERS from enemy models. For each INFECTION MARKER you remove, you can then carry out one of the following Commands with a Bereaved (Grail Thrall or Fly Thrall) that is within 18" of the model taking the Command Bereaved ACTION. A Bereaved cannot be given more than 1 Command each Turn, but carrying out a Command does not stop it from also being Activated in the same Turn (before or after the Command was issued).
Captains
Add -1 INJURY DICE to Injury Rolls for the model unless the attack has the FIRE Keyword.
Using the remnants of the lingering power of a fallen Hegemon, a Plague Knight of the Warband can directly command a nearby Bereaved. An Executor or Plague Knight in a Dirge of the Great Hegemon Warband can take a Command Bereaved ACTION. If it does so, you can remove any number of INFECTION MARKERS from enemy models. For each INFECTION MARKER you remove, you can then carry out one of the following Commands with a Bereaved (Grail Thrall or Fly Thrall) that is within 18" of the model taking the Command Bereaved ACTION. A Bereaved cannot be given more than 1 Command each Turn, but carrying out a Command does not stop it from also being Activated in the same Turn (before or after the Command was issued).
A Plague Knight can have any Battlekit from the Cult of the Black Grail Armoury Tables. It must have a suit of Armour. No restrictions apply to any other Types of Battlekit.
Ranking lowest in the nobility of the Black Grail, these great armoured warriors were once truly depraved worshippers of Beelzebub. When the Cult of the Black Grail came for them, they willingly submitted to the authority of the Lord of Flies. As a result they retain a semblance of sentience and the ability to wield weapons as they did in life. They aspire to win favour in the eyes of Beelzebub and one day be promoted in the hierarchy of the Order of the Fly.
Elite
Add -1 INJURY DICE to Injury Rolls for the model unless the attack has the FIRE Keyword.
Whenever a Melee Attack made by a Corpse Guard causes any INFECTION MARKERS to be placed on the target, you can remove up to 1 BLOOD MARKER from the attacking Corpse Guard model.
If a friendly Cult of the Black Grail model within 1" of a Corpse Guard is hit by a Ranged Attack or Melee Attack, you can say that the Corpse Guard will take the hit. If you do so, make an Injury Roll for the Corpse Guard instead of the original target. This ability cannot be used against attacks that have the BLAST Keyword.
A Corpse Guard can have any Battlekit from the Cult of the Black Grail Armoury Tables.
Only the strongest human devotees can survive the compounding blessings of the Cult of the Black Grail. The ones that do are inducted into the ranks of the Corpse Guards, bodyguards to the nobility of the Cult of the Black Grail. If they serve with distinction, they may one day join the ranks of the Infernal nobility.
Add -1 INJURY DICE to Injury Rolls for the model unless the attack has the FIRE Keyword.
Using the remnants of the lingering power of a fallen Hegemon, a Plague Knight of the Warband can directly command a nearby Bereaved. An Executor or Plague Knight in a Dirge of the Great Hegemon Warband can take a Command Bereaved ACTION. If it does so, you can remove any number of INFECTION MARKERS from enemy models. For each INFECTION MARKER you remove, you can then carry out one of the following Commands with a Bereaved (Grail Thrall or Fly Thrall) that is within 18" of the model taking the Command Bereaved ACTION. A Bereaved cannot be given more than 1 Command each Turn, but carrying out a Command does not stop it from also being Activated in the same Turn (before or after the Command was issued).
A Plague Knight can have any Battlekit from the Cult of the Black Grail Armoury Tables. It must have a suit of Armour. No restrictions apply to any other Types of Battlekit.
Ranking lowest in the nobility of the Black Grail, these great armoured warriors were once truly depraved worshippers of Beelzebub. When the Cult of the Black Grail came for them, they willingly submitted to the authority of the Lord of Flies. As a result they retain a semblance of sentience and the ability to wield weapons as they did in life. They aspire to win favour in the eyes of Beelzebub and one day be promoted in the hierarchy of the Order of the Fly.
Infantry
Add -1 INJURY DICE to Injury Rolls for the model unless the attack has the FIRE Keyword.
A Grail Thrall or Fly Thrall can make a Melee Attack even though it does not have a Melee Weapon. In addition, add +1 DICE to the Success Roll for a Melee Attack made by a Grail Thrall or Fly Thrall for each other friendly model within 3" of the attacking model (not including the attacking model itself ).
Thralls can be equipped with ranged weapons, troop flags, or instruments, but nothing else. They do not suffer penalties for fighting unarmed.
The boons of the Cult of the Black Grail lead slowly but surely down the path of utter corruption. Only very few of the chosen can withstand the blessings of the Lord of the Flies. Most are turned into Grail Thralls, destined to join the endless legions of empty, hollowed-out and diseased husks who must obey the whims of the Cult of the Black Grail nobles for all eternity, while suffering the torment of their countless supernatural infections.
Thralls come in two varieties: Grail Thralls, which have become almost impervious to pain, and Fly Thralls, controlled by the gargantuan hell-flies that have buried their proboscis deep into the central nervous system of their victims, allowing far greater mobility in exchange for less resistance to pain.
A Grail Thrall or Fly Thrall can make a Melee Attack even though it does not have a Melee Weapon. In addition, add +1 DICE to the Success Roll for a Melee Attack made by a Grail Thrall or Fly Thrall for each other friendly model within 3" of the attacking model (not including the attacking model itself ).
Thralls cannot be equipped with any weapons, armour or equipment. They do not suffer penalties for fighting unarmed.
The boons of the Cult of the Black Grail lead slowly but surely down the path of utter corruption. Only very few of the chosen can withstand the blessings of the Lord of the Flies. Most are turned into Grail Thralls, destined to join the endless legions of empty, hollowed-out and diseased husks who must obey the whims of the Cult of the Black Grail nobles for all eternity, while suffering the torment of their countless supernatural infections.
Thralls come in two varieties: Grail Thralls, which have become almost impervious to pain, and Fly Thralls, controlled by the gargantuan hell-flies that have buried their proboscis deep into the central nervous system of their victims, allowing far greater mobility in exchange for less resistance to pain.
A Herald of Beelzebub can make a Melee Attack with the INFECTION MARKERS Keyword even though it does not have a Melee Weapon. If a Melee Attack made by a Herald of Beelzebub causes any INFECTION MARKERS to be placed on the target model, you can remove up to 1 BLOOD MARKER from the attacking Herald of Beelzebub.
Up to 1 Herald of Beelzebub model can have the Maddening Buzzing ability at a cost of +10 . Success Rolls taken for enemy models within 8" of a model with this ability become Risky Success Rolls (there is no additional effect if they are Risky Success Rolls already).
A Herald of Beelzebub can have any Ranged Weapon from the Cult of the Black Grail Armoury Tables. They cannot have any other Battlekit apart from a Compound Eyes Helmet or a single Grail Devotee.
Some victims of the Cult of the Black Grail suffer a far worse fate than becoming a Thrall. They are bestowed with the black honour of being melded with hell-flies, growing into a grotesque winged insect made of bloated flesh. After this torturous metamorphosis they take to the air as Heralds of Beelzebub, the winged squires and scouts of the Order of the Fly. Their vestigial human bodies are still conscious as they are slowly eaten from within to be used as fuel by the Herald, all the while their warped bodies fight for the glory of Hell against their will.
The Heralds are the vanguard in any assault of the Cult of the Black Grail, and the ear-numbing otherworldly drone of their wings strikes terror in any defender, breaking their focus and sapping their willpower. Heralds wield discarded weapons contaminated with horrible worms that churn through them, which in turn infect their victims. Each diseased bullet has a sentience of its own, finding even the smallest chink in any armour, burrowing into the nervous system and liquefying the internal organs from within.
Add -1 INJURY DICE to Injury Rolls for the model unless the attack has the FIRE Keyword.
Add +1 DICE to the Risky Success Roll for a Hound of the Cult of the Black Grail that is taking a Dash ACTION. In addition, do not halve the Movement Characteristic of a Hound of the Cult of the Black Grail when it stands up at the start of an Activation.
If an enemy model is Activated while it is within 1" of a Hound of the Cult of the Black Grail, place 1 INFECTION MARKER next to the enemy model before it carries out any Actions.
The model can make a Melee Attack even though it doesn’t have a Melee Weapon.
A Hound of the Cult of the Black Grail cannot have any Battlekit.
These are parasitic carcasses of canines infested with maggots and flies spawned from the body of Beelzebub himself. Their unholy mission is to prowl No Man’s Land and spread disease and pestilence in the name of their dark master.
Mercenaries
Treat a Scripture Guardian as having a Movement Characteristic of 3"/Infantry when it takes a Dash ACTION.
The Scripture Guardian reads words from the holy (or unholy) text it carries. A Scripture Guardian can take a Vengeful Scripture ACTION. If they do so, pick 1 enemy model within 18" of the Scripture Guardian and in its Line of Sight. Then take a Success Roll for the Scripture Guardian, with +2 DICE if the enemy model is within 9" of the Scripture Guardian and +1 DICE otherwise. If the roll is a Failure, nothing happens. If the roll is a Success, make an Injury Roll for the enemy model, with a +1 INJURY MODIFIER for each BLOOD MARKER the enemy model has (in addition to any benefits you receive if you then spend them to affect the Injury Roll). If the roll is a Critical Success, make an Injury Roll for the enemy model with +1 INJURY DICE and a +1 INJURY MODIFIER for each BLOOD MARKER the enemy model has.
Combat Helmet
NEGATE SHRAPNEL
The simple combat helmet has proven its value on the battlefield time and again.
Reinforced Armour
-2 INJURY MODIFIER
Reinforced armour is a master-crafted suit made individually for the most important and elite troops. Each one is richly decorated and often carries the personal device of the warrior who wears it.
Sin Eater can take a Devour the Guilty ACTION. If they do so, pick 1 model (friend or foe) that is within 1" of the Sin Eater and is mounted on a base that is 40mm or smaller. If the model is an enemy, take a Risky Success Roll for the Sin Eater. If the model is friendly, take a Success Roll for the Sin Eater with +1 DICE. If the roll is a Failure, the Sin Eater’s Activation ends, if it was a Risky Success Roll, and nothing happens if it was a normal Success Roll. If the roll is a Success or a Critical Success, the model you picked is devoured, and the following rules apply to it:
- Place the model to one side, along with any MARKERS it may have. It is inside the Sin Eater and cannot be affected in any way or carry out any ACTIONS except as described below. While it is in the Sin Eater it is considered to be Down for the purposes of Morale Checks. A Sin Eater can only have 1 devoured model at a time.
- When it is Activated, it can take a Fight ACTION and must target the Sin Eater. Add -3 DICE to the roll for the Melee Attack, and do not use any of the model’s abilities or any of the special rules for its weapons.
- If the Sin Eater is taken Out of Action, before removing them from the battlefield, deploy the devoured model within 1" of the Sin Eater and place it Down. If this is impossible, the model is taken Out of Action. In either case, the Sin Eater is then removed from the battlefield.
- If a devoured model is still inside a Sin Eater when the game ends, it is considered to have been taken Out of Action.
- Each time the Sin Eater is Activated, place 1 BLOOD MARKER next to the devoured model. As soon as a devoured model has 6 BLOOD MARKERS, it is immediately taken Out of Action and is no longer considered to be inside the Sin Eater.
- A Sin Eater that has a devoured model inside it can take a Purge ACTION.If it does so, take a Success Roll for the Sin Eater with +4 DICE. If the roll is a Failure, nothing happens. If the roll is a Success or Critical Success, deploy the devoured model within 1" of the Sin Eater and place it Down. If this is impossible, the devoured model remains inside the Sin Eater. Once released the model can be Activated normally.
Tenderizer Maul
| Range | Melee |
| Hands | 2 Hands (Melee) |
HEAVY, +1 INJURY MODIFIER
When a model armed with a Tenderiser Maul takes a Fight ACTION, instead of making only 1 Melee Attack, you can make 1 Melee Attack against each enemy model with 1" of the attacking model. Resolve each Melee Attack one at a time in the order of your choice.
Reinforced Armour
-2 INJURY MODIFIER
Reinforced armour is a master-crafted suit made individually for the most important and elite troops. Each one is richly decorated and often carries the personal device of the warrior who wears it.
Sin Eaters were once mortal men and women, but their overwhelming greed, combined with the corrupting influence of the Hellgate, turned them into an abominable form that matches their inner foulness. Sin Eaters are among the few creatures outside Beelzebub’s followers that he deems worthy as their boundless gluttony mirrors his essence.
Armoury
Base Faction
Promotions
