Bloodbound Warhorde

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]

Groupings

A Warhorde is typically divided into eight distinct groups. These are often given their own moniker or named after a notorious leader, such as the Skullhunters or Khallzhak’s Redblades. In smaller armies, these eight formations might each be a single pack, but in larger groups each of the eight is a battle force in its own right. These group vary in form based on Bloodbound warrior leading them and their formations.^[1a]

Bloodforged Warband

The Blood Warriors of the Bloodforged Warbands are led by daemonically warped Skullgrinders and Wrathmongers, berserker brutes who wield ruinous wrath-flails.^[1a]

Bloodmad Warband

One of the most common groupings is a Bloodmad Warband, a formation led by an Aspiring Deathbringer. It contains throngs of Bloodreavers and Blood Warriors bolstered by Skullreapers and a Bloodsecrator. So great is the fury manifested in such a gathering that, when they start reaping their gory tributes, the veil between realms begins to tear. As the blood flows from the Bloodmad Warband’s killing spree, the skies turn crimson, and a deluge of blood soaks the lands in gore.^[1a]

Dark Feast Warband

While driven into battle by the cruel whip of their Bloodstoker, the Bloodreavers of the Dark Feast Warbands are stoked into a fiery rage by their Slaughterpriest and engage in gruesome acts of cannibalism to boost their own power.^[1a]

Gore Pilgrims

Another common formation is the Gore Pilgrims. These zealots are composed of Blood Warriors and Bloodreavers who congregate under Bloodsecrators and Slaughterpriests, and follow them in their bloody worship. When Gore Pilgrims do battle, Khorne’s loathing of wizardry becomes increasingly manifest as the blood begins to flow and the Slaughterpriests chant their hateful mantras.^[1a]

Red Headsmen Warband

Led by an Aspiring Deathbringer, the blades of the Red Headsmen Warband burn with the heat of Khorne’s forge, aiding their quest to win glory in the Lord of Battle’s eyes.^[1d]

Skulltake Warband

Skulltake Warbands are composed of Skullreapers and packs of skull-eating Khorgoraths led by a Bloodstoker, while a Dark Feast Warband engages in gruesome acts of cannibalism to boost their own power.

Slaughterborn Warband

Led by an Exalted Deathbringer, the Skullreapers and Blood Warriors of the Slaughterborn Warband are so scarred and nerve-damaged in body that only the keenest blades will slow their assault.^[1d]

Notable Warhordes

• Bloodlords^[1c]
• The Flayed^[2a]
• Goretide^[1c]
• Reapers of Vengeance^[1c]
• Skullfiend Tribe^[1c]

Sources

• 1: Battletome: Blades of Khorne (2019)
  • 1a: Warhordes of Khorne, pg. 32-33
  • 1b: The Chosen of Khorne, pg. 34-35
  • 1c: Allegiance Abilities, pg. 80-83
  • 1d: Bloodbound Warscroll Battallions, pg. 98-101
• 2: Soul Wars: Wrath of the Everchosen
  • 2a: The Flayed, pg. 92