The Boulderhead Mawtribe, also known as the Svard, is one of the greatest Ogor Mawtribes. They are considered unmatched beastmasters by other ogors and are also known for their excessive cruelty. In battle, they charge as a mass of gouging horns, stamping hooves and slavering jaws.[1]
Mounts
Their monstrous mounts are able to push through their pain, given a bit of “inspiration” from their riders in the form of pig-iron spurs. To ensure that they have only the toughest and most foul-tempered beasts they pit them against each other in vicious blood-matches until only the strongest remain. [1]
Boulderhead beastmasters often preform a painful bonding ritual when an ogor selects a mount: they carve a portion of meat from both rider and mount and feed the piece to the other. This is believed to ensure loyalty between the companions.[4a]
Leadership
The Frost King of the Svard is Braggoth Vardruk, who was frozen in the late Age of Myth and freed in the early Age of Sigmar. Since his return, he has reclaimed his place atop the tribe and begun a furious rivalry with the Meatfist Mawtribe, who had subjugated the Svard in his absence.[4a]
Livery
The Svard traditionally sported red markings, especially on their right fists, as a tribute to the legend of the first Frostlord, Baergut Vosjarl, who supposedly used his right hand to rip out the heart of the great bear Jorhar.[3c] As the Meatfist also sport red hands (in tribute to the legend of the first Gutbuster Overtyrant, Grawl Meatfist, who ripped out the intestines of the Ghurish Titanox), Braggoth symbolically burned away the red markings on his right hand when challenging Garl Glittermaw, and the Boulderhead now sport blackened right fists in recognition of that act and their liberation from Meatfist domination.[4a]
Tribes of the Svard
- Jarvak: One of the Mawtribe's alfrostuns.[2a]
History
Age of Myth
- Braggoth makes the Svard a great raiding force in the armies of Gorkamorka.[3e]
- Through misfortune and sorcerous treachery, Braggoth and the Svard are trapped in the Skyblind Tundras, where they are frozen solid.[3b][3c]
Age of Sigmar
- A stray bolt of Sigmar's Tempest frees the Svard from the ice. Despite their disorientation, the ogors are hungry enough to immediately set upon the Stormcast Eternals carried on the lightning.[3a]
- After discovering that those remnants of the Svard that had not been frozen in the ice had been subjugated by the Meatfist Mawtribe, Braggoth leads his warriors to the Great Gutfort, absorbing smaller Mawtribes along the way, and fights to liberate the rest of his tribe. The battle proves costly for both sides, and ultimately Braggoth and Meatfist Overtyrant Globb Glittermaw agree to an uneasy truce. [4a]
- When the Cold-Iron King destroys the Bloodbound warband the Svard are tracking and takes their corpses to mausoleums for later resurrection as skeletons, Braggoth refuses to be denied his prize and leads his Alfrostun in an attack on the King's tomb-city.[3d]
- A force of Svard attack the Glydmir Enclave of Sylvaneth, stealing the soulpods and foiling the forest spirits' attempts to regrow healthy life among the Nurgle-corrupted Balefens of Ghyran.[3e]
- Driven by the Everwinter to the Manticore Realmgate, the Boulderhead meet Ironjawz led by the Megaboss Grakgob, who seeks to once again overthrow the dreadfort protecting it. Grakgob, having seen Beastclaw rituals before, asks for an alliance by inviting Braggoth on a ritual hunt - an Alarok - and Braggoth accepts. Braggoth boasts that he will break through the defenders and take the keep if only Grakgob lends his swiftest and fiercest warriors. He makes good on his boast, leading a charge of Mournfang Riders and Gore-Gruntas to bring down the statue of Archaon at the centre of the dreadhold, killing the Chaos Lord commanding the defence along the way.[3f]
Sources
- 1: Beastclaw subfactions on Warhammer Community
- 2: Battletome: Ogor Mawtribes (2019)
- 2a: Frostlords, Pg. 36-37
- 3: Battletome: Beastclaw Raiders (2016)
- 4: Soulbound: Champions of Destruction
- 4a: Ogor Mawtribes, pg. 61-65