Forces of the Abyss: Battle Tactics

Playing a new army can sometimes be a daunting prospect, but don’t worry because we’ve got some tips and tricks for your first few battles with the devilish Forces of the Abyss.

Their full new list will debut in the upcoming Clash of Kings 2025 book, so enjoy this first preview of what's coming!

INTO THE ABYSS

The Forces of the Abyss are an incredibly versatile army with plenty of options to suit different play styles. They also have some fairly cheap units, like the Lower Abyssals, that can be used to grab objectives, while your other, more expensive monsters and large infantry can smash the opposition!

They are quite melee-focused, however, so the introduction of a reworked Sacrificial Imp special rule, will hopefully keep them safe for a little bit longer while marching across the battlefield. Once per battle, you can declare this rule and all front-facing ranged attacks against the unit treat its defence as 6+. Great when you’re facing off against pesky elves!

Don’t forget that many units also have the Fury special rule, so your close combat units will still be effective right up until your opponent removes them completely from the table. As a result, you can charge across the battlefield without worrying too much about blocking up other units behind them because they’re Wavered.

Meanwhile, Berserkers are an exciting new unit for Forces of Abyss players. Similar to werewolves and other fast large infantry, Berserkers give the army a fast-flanking unit capable of tearing across the battlefield before smashing into the enemy. While fragile, they can regenerate on a 5+, so there’s the possibility to remove some of that ‘chip damage’ before engaging with a foe. Hitting on a 4+ with plenty of attacks for a horde, these have the potential to wipe out weaker units.

THE ENEMY IS HISSSTORY

The snake-like Nagarri are another new unit for the Abyss. While they are decent in melee, their biggest strength is being able to further increase the already formidable regenerative powers of their demonic brethren by increasing the number on any dice rolled by +1 when trying to regenerate wounds. This will really help make Lower Abyssal hordes an even more effective tar pit because they’ll be regenerating on 4+. Oh, and don’t forget, the Berserkers also benefit from this aura too.

Abyssal Horsemen are a longstanding Forces of the Abyss unit that have been given a boost for this new update, thanks to an increased Nerve value. With some additional Nerve they can reclaim their place as one of the premier cavalry units in KINGS OF WAR. Hitting on a 3+ with Thunderous Charge (1) and Crushing Strength (1), combined with speed 8, they’re perfect for early strikes against your opponent or lying in wait, ready for an opportune moment to strike against an exposed flank.

Talking of speed, the Succubi have always been one of the faster infantry options in the Forces of the Abyss army list, thanks to a standard speed 6, compared to speed 5 for the rest of their demonic comrades. Well, this has been improved even further with the ability to upgrade the unit with a Succubi Lurker to gain Wild Charge (D3) and Pathfinder. This will give themselves a real presence on the table and ensure their enemies have few places to hide.

The Forces of the Abyss army has a plethora of big units for you to choose from too. Whether it’s the Chroneas, Abyssal Fiend or Well of Souls. The latter is another great way to help keep your infantry fighting for longer. This infernal portal to the Abyss put damage on itself and, in return, remove damage from friendly Forces of the Abyss units within 9”. Stick this behind a horde of Lower Abyssals and they can hold even the trickiest objectives.

LIAR LIAR

The Lord of Lies had a brief run in the Forces of Abyss army list during Second Edition, before his rules evolved into the current Ba’el. But for the latest release, the Lord of Lies is making a stunning comeback, both as an amazing resin miniature and as a unique upgrade to the existing Archfiend.

Being the cunning foe that he is, the Lord of Lies brings some unique tricks to the table, including the ability to counter the buffs of his enemies. The Lord of Lies gets the Seeds of Distrust special rule, which means enemy units cannot gain special rules from any auras. This is incredibly disruptive and will cause your opponent to rethink their normal battle tactics.

Read more in the FREE Start Collecting Guide for the Forces of the Abyss, from the Mantic Studio team!