Bloodbound Warhorde

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Typically hierarchy of a Warhorde

Bloodbound Warhordes are the brutal yet militant organisational structures in which the mortal Bloodbound warriors of Khorne gather. These armies are fierce, unrelenting and eager for slaughter, and the Mortal Realms tremble before their onslaught.[1a]

Cohesion

Worshippers of Khorne are not bound together by oaths of fealty. They pledge themselves to none save the Blood God himself. Although they despoil the Mortal Realms in warbands and tribes, unified by hatred and the desire for slaughter, these savage fanatics will turn upon each other when there are no other victims whose skulls can be reaped. As such, it is the responsibility of the warlord to keep their horde from ripping itself apart. This task is best done by directing their rage at suitable targets, for only ceaseless carnage and marching against ever greater foes can keep the insatiable bloodlust and drive for individual glory of the Khornate hordes from turning inwards. There is little to no camaraderie within a Warhorde, Khornate warriors show only open hostility to one another, but they fight together so long as each is given a part to play in the slaughter.[1a]

Hierarchy

The command of a Bloodbound Warhorde falls upon a Lord of Khorne. To even take such a position requires a living legend - warrior who has risen through the ranks through indomitable power and unrelenting slaughter, felling not just foes beyond number, but also members of his own tribe who would dare challenge his authority. Directly beneath the Lord of Khorne are his Gorechosen – his eight mightiest and most favoured champions. Each member of the Gorechosen is a famed killer in their own right, with numerous campaigns of genocide to their name. They are the Lord of Khorne’s personal guard, and they are also the most likely to bury a serrated axe blade in the back of his skull, so he keeps them close at hand, where their seething ambitions can be observed. Below the Gorechosen are the sprawling warbands of the Bloodbound army. Each of these hordes is marshalled under a champion who, through increasing acts of ferocity and carnage, looks to ascend to the rank of the Gorechosen.[1a]

Gorechosen

Main article: Gorechosen

Those who survive through the lifestyle of trial and combat that is a Bloodbound Warhorde, arise as Gorechosen, the lieutenants united around a Lord of Khorne. All of the Gorechosen aim at taking the control of a Bloodbound host, by slaying their Lord of Khorne. This is one of the most paradoxical aspect of Khorne's belligerent worshippers, serving as an elite guard for their Lord, but as soon as the occasion of a slaughter or an opportunity to slay the lord, the Gorechosen will jump on it to ascend.[3a]

Warbands

Main article: Bloodbound warband

The main body of a warhorde is the warbands made up of like-minded warriors and led by a champion. Warbands can take on many forms; for example, Bloodreavers tend to congregate in tribal formations while Wrathmongers tend to congregate in groups more akin to the daemonic cohorts of the Daemons of Khorne.[3a] These warbands are both the greatest strength and the greatest liability for the warhorde's leadership, for each warband sees other warbands as potential sacrifices and each champion sees the champions of other warbands as rivals for promotion to the Gorechosen.[1a]

The traditional formation of a warhorde contains eight warbands, but the number and nature of warriors in those warbands can vary significantly, from small packs of marauders to massive armies. In the greatest warhordes, its eight warbands are more akin to smaller warhordes, with many constituent warbands of their own.[1a]

Auxiliaries

Some warhordes are elitist and only allow Bloodbound and Khornate daemons to fight alongside them, but most find various hangers-on accompanying them on the march. Packs of monstrous beasts, Khorne-aligned Slaves to Darkness and Beasts of Chaos, and ragged bands of leaderless marauders often trail behind the main body of the warhorde, adding considerable strength and tactical flexibility to the warhorde of a Lord of Khorne willing to take advantage of these forces.[3a]

Notable Warhordes

Sources

Khorne Bloodbound
Units Lords of Khorne Lord of Khorne - Mighty Lord of Khorne
Gorechosen Aspiring Deathbringer - Bloodsecrator - Bloodstoker - Exalted Deathbringer - Slaughterpriest - Realmgore Ritualist - Skullgrinder
Champions Khorgoraths - Skullreapers - Wrathmongers
Warriors Bloodreavers - Blood Warriors - Mighty Skullcrushers
Warbands Claws of Karanak - Garrek's Reavers - Gorechosen of Dromm - Magore's Fiends - Murderfist
Bloodbound Warhordes Brazen Butchers - Goretide - Skullfiend Tribe - The Flayed
Characters Ahazian Kel - Akhagor - Anhur - Balghor - Baudrax - Blackjaw - Drane - Dravek Daemonfist - Garsa - Ghaar'eth - Gigante - Gorechosen of Dromm(Dromm - Gorehulk - Herax) - Graunos - Grizzlemaw - Isengrim - Kaelgor - Kathag - Khuldrak - Korghos Khul - Koroth - Korox Tyrantscorn - Krev Deathstalker - Kurgoth - Lakshar Bloodspeaker - Mordax Slaughterthirst - Rakhan - Riptooth - Ruhok - Scylla Anfingrimm - Selkhara - Skalok - Skarku - Skarr Bloodwrath - Skuldrak - Tarvak - The Beast - Therekal - Threx Skullbrand - Ushkar Mir - Valkia - Vehk the Flayer - Volundr - Vorax - Vorgaroth - Vorhak - Vrak Brazenfist
Artwork - Miniatures