Gorechosen
Gorechosen Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Masters of Carnage
These Gorechosen are some of the dark champions of the Bloodbound, each a gifted killer spattered in the blood of a thousand gory conquests. Masterful fighters and remorseless murderers, they make for deadly opponents, able to dish out and weather huge amounts of punishment and pain.
Redarg Bloodfane
Redarg is a terrifying champion whose hands are covered in the blood of mortals and monsters beyond counting. With brutal efficiency, he lops off heads with his axe and traps blades in his skullgouger, driving them back into their owners' own flesh. As second to the Warhorde's Mighty Lord of Khorne, he stands on the cusp of glory over his frenzied kindred, and victory in the pit is the prelude to his glorious and bloody ascension.
Heldrax Goretouched
The bloodlust of Khorne boils angrily in the heart of Heldrax. His flesh is a gore-covered vessel through which the Blood God's rage can take shape, twisting the Slaughterpriest's body into a distended killing machine. None are as devoted as Heldrax, a fact he yearns to prove in furious battle against his kin, hacking them down, ripping apart their flesh and feasting on their hearts, to show their worship for the pale lie it is.
Every Bloodbound Warhorde has eight Gorechosen, drawn from the deadliest and most bloodthirsty of its warriors. They serve the Mighty Lord of Khorne, but only as long as Khorne favours him. Thus, the Gorechosen are in constant competition with their master, and each other, to win the blessings of their dark god.
Vexnar the Reaper
Hungry for power, Vexnar has hacked and butchered his way to stand among the Gorechosen, yet still he craves supremacy over his enemies and his kindred. He has earned the name 'Reaper' for his relentless killing sprees, for the rage of Khorne burns like an unquenchable fire in his heart. Each swing of his goreaxe adds fuel to this fire, while devastating strikes from his skullhammer shatter bones and burst open heads with punishing force.
Kore Hammerskull
As Kore wades through combat, the thunderous tempo of brass shattering bone booms across the battlefield. Gouts of fire burst from his brazen anvil as it smashes into his victims, the massive weapon bursting them like straining sacks of meat. Kore is a warrior-smith, who forges weapons so that the red rivers of war might never run dry. His only concerns are the continuation of slaughter and harvesting heads for his mighty lord.
The Arena Awaits
Welcome to Gorechosen, a game of arena combat in the Age of Sigmar. This book tells you how to engage your opponent in deadly martial bouts, introduces the fearsome fighters you have available, and tells you about the ferocious world they inhabit. You will also find painted examples of the stunning Citadel Miniatures included in this box.
What You Get In This Box
- 4 plastic Citadel Miniatures: Aspiring Deathbringer, Exalted Deathbringer, Skullgrinder, Slaughterpriest
- 4 Fighter Reference cards (see Figure 1)
- 8 Damage markers
- 4 Health markers
- 28 Injury markers
- 4 Wrath tokens
- 24 Action cards
- 16 Initiative cards
- 12 Critical Injury cards
- Arena board — this hex contains an obstruction; these hexes contain pits
- Wrath Track — the Wrath Track keeps record of each fighter's Wrath (the number next to each row). Fighters spend Wrath to make powerful attacks.
- 6 Dice
Fig. 1 — Fighter Reference Cards
Each fighter has a Unique action, which only they can perform (see overleaf). Your fighter's Health is measured by a marker that travels down this track.
Each fighter has a unique rule described on their reference card. The Kill Zone shows which hexes the fighter can target with their attacks. These are the damage boxes. At the start of the game the two Wounded boxes will be covered, so use the rules in the Healthy boxes.
Example reference card (Redarg Bloodfane), showing the layout: Move action (top), Attack action (middle), Special action (bottom).
Preparing for Battle
Setting Up
Set up the arena board in the middle of the playing area, where everyone can reach it. Shuffle the Critical Injury cards and put them face-down next to the arena.
Each player takes a set of components with a matching rune: one circular Wrath token, one small Health marker, two Damage markers and four Initiative cards, all bearing a matching rune.
Then, each player puts one of their Initiative cards into the centre, where they are shuffled together. Reveal them one at a time. When your card is revealed, pick one of the available fighters. Take their Fighter Reference card, set it up as shown in Figure 2, then set up their miniature anywhere in the arena that is more than 2 hexes away from any other fighter. You can choose any facing (see Figure 3).
Once each player has set up their fighter, the Initiative cards are returned to their owners and everyone puts their Wrath token on the orange space on the Wrath Track. Then the game begins!
Fig. 2. Put a Damage marker over each of the 'Wounded' spaces at the bottom of your card, and a Health marker at the top of the Health Track.
Fig. 3. Fighters must face one of the edges of their hex – use the way they're looking to determine this. The hexes around them are then divided into their front and rear arcs. The hex directly in front of them is the one in the middle of their front arc.
Rounds
The game is split into rounds, each of which has two stages: Prepare and Fight. Once you've completed both stages, a new round begins.
Stage One: Prepare
Shuffle together the 24 Action cards and deal five to each player to form their hand — these should be kept secret. Discard any remaining cards.
Then, each player puts as many Initiative cards forward as their current Wrath (see Figure 4). Shuffle these Initiative cards together, and put the resulting Initiative deck next to the arena.
Stage Two: Fight
Draw the top card of the Initiative deck. The player whose card is drawn takes a turn by revealing an Action card from their hand, choosing one (and only one) of its actions to resolve, and then discarding the card.
After the action is resolved, draw another Initiative card and repeat the process above. If there are no cards left in the Initiative deck, a new round begins.
As you draw each Initiative card, place it face-up on top of the last one that was drawn. Only the top one should be visible — you cannot look through the pile to see which ones have already come out!
Notes on Dice
If you're ever asked to roll a D3, roll a dice and halve the result, rounding up. If you're told to re-roll any dice, roll them again, ignoring the first result. You can never re-roll a dice more than once.
Let the Carnage Begin
Actions
Each card has three actions: a Move action at the top, an Attack action in the middle, and a Special action at the bottom. Some actions have a Wrath Modifier; move your token up or down the Wrath Track accordingly before resolving the action.
Wrath Modifier icon. You cannot move off either end of the track; if you are at the bottom, for example, and take an action with a -1 Wrath Modifier, your token just stays where it is.
As well as the actions below, each fighter has a Unique action. You can discard any two Action cards to take your fighter's Unique action.
Fig. 4. Everyone starts in the same place on the Wrath Track, so for the first turn, everyone puts in 3 Initiative cards.
Fig. 5. For example, Vexnar the Reaper can target the three hexes that make up his front arc.
Fig. 6. Thanks to his rather unwieldy weapon, Kore Hammerskull finds it easier to hit fighters when they're further away!
Move Actions
When you resolve a Move action, you can move your fighter up to the number of hexes shown by the action. You can move in any direction, but you can't move into a hex that's occupied by another model, or into a pit or obstruction. Once you've moved, set your facing according to the facing icon on the action you chose (see Figure 7).
Attack Actions
To resolve an Attack action, you must have an enemy fighter in your Kill Zone. The Kill Zone diagram on your Fighter Reference card shows where you can attack – the white hexes are your position and the arrow shows your facing (see Figure 5).
Pick an enemy in your Kill Zone and roll the number of dice shown by the action. Each dice that scores your To Hit value or higher is a hit. If you score no hits, move your Wrath token up one space as your fighter seethes with impotent fury! You'll find the To Hit value on your Fighter Reference card. Some weapons have different To Hit values depending on where your target is (see Figure 6).
Each hit you score inflicts wounds on your opponent – check the Wounds value on your Fighter Reference card to see how many. Wounds are explained on the opposite page. Before the wounds are inflicted, your target can play a Block, Parry or Dodge Special action, if they have one in their hand, by discarding it. They can only play one card for each attack you make.
Special Actions
When you resolve a Special action, follow the text on the card.
No Actions
If you wish, you can take no action when your Initiative card is drawn. If you take no actions, you must discard an Action card from your hand. If your Initiative card is drawn and you have run out of cards, your fighter can take no actions.
Pushing Fighters
Some actions (such as Shove) let you push a model into another hex. They move one hex directly away from your fighter, without changing their facing.
If a pushed fighter cannot be moved, because the arena wall, an obstruction or another fighter is in the way, they suffer D3 wounds instead. If your fighter is about to be pushed into a pit, roll a dice, then discard any number of cards from your hand, adding 1 to the result for each. On a total of 4 or more, your fighter stays in their hex. On a 1-3, they plummet to their death and are slain (see right).
Wounds and Injuries
Move your fighter's Health marker one space down the track for each wound they suffer. When it reaches the bottom, cover that space with an Injury marker. That space is now lost and cannot be used. Then, if you have any wounds left over, move your marker to the new top space and continue from there (see Figure 8).
Whenever you add an Injury marker, draw a Critical Injury card. Once you have finished moving the Health marker, resolve any Critical Injury cards you drew.
Fig. 8. Heldrax Goretouched suffers six wounds. His Health marker moves to the bottom of the track, so his player covers the top space with an Injury marker. He still has two wounds left, so he moves his marker to the new top space (for one wound) and moves it down one more (for the last). As one Injury marker was placed, the player draws one Critical Injury card and resolves it.
Death
If the bottom space of your fighter's Health Track is covered by an Injury marker, they are slain. They can also be slain as a result of certain Critical Injury cards. When your fighter is slain, they are removed from the arena immediately, and their marker is removed from the Wrath Track. The fighter who slew your fighter moves their Wrath token up D3 spaces.
Despite your fighter's demise, you may yet have a chance for vengeance. Turn your reference card over and read the 'Fate of the Slain' rules that you find there.
End of the Round
When there are no cards left in the Initiative deck, the round ends. Each player takes back their Initiative cards, and discards any remaining Action cards in their hand. Then a new round begins.
The Path to Victory
The conditions of victory are simple: the last warrior standing wins!
Fig. 7 — Facing Icons
If an action has this icon, you can choose your facing.
If an action has this icon, face directly away from the last hex you moved out of. (In other words, face your direction of travel.)
If an action has this icon, face the last hex you moved out of. (You are effectively backing out of the hex.)
Actions with either of these icons can't change your facing if you don't move.
Gory Details
Wrath Modifiers
If you take an action with a Wrath modifier, don't forget to adjust your Wrath before you take the action!
Discarded Initiative Cards
Remember, you can't look through the discarded Initiative cards. A smart player will keep their unused Initiative cards hidden, to keep the others guessing…
Front and Rear Arcs
You are only 'in a fighter's front/rear arc' if you are standing in one of the six hexes adjacent to them (see Figure 3).
Crippling Blow Action
If you make a Crippling Blow attack and roll any 6s, the Critical Injury is resolved immediately – before your opponent has a chance to play a Block, Dodge or Parry.
Cleave
Heldrax's Cleave ability comes into effect before his opponent has a chance to Dodge, Parry or Block the attack. If the target's Health marker is at the top of their Health Track when they must place an Injury marker, move the Health marker down to the next space.
Attacking Through Fighters
If your fighter's Kill Zone extends beyond their front arc (like Kore's or Heldrax's), it is possible to ignore an intervening fighter and hit someone behind them. This represents the closer warrior ducking aside, or a strike whistling past to hit the more distant foe.
Optional Rule: Time Limits
If you find that players are taking too long to play their Action cards, you can use this rule to speed the game up. You will need a stopwatch or something similar.
When the top card of the Initiative deck is turned over, the player whose card it is has 15 seconds to play an Action card from their hand. If they do not do so in time, they must discard a random Action card and forfeit their turn!
Advanced Variant: Drafting
If you wish to add a level of strategy to your games, you can amend the Prepare stage of each round as follows.
Deal six cards to each player instead of five. Then, each player looks at the cards they have been dealt, chooses one to keep, then passes the remaining cards to the player on their left. Look through these new cards, pick one to keep, and pass again to the left. Keep doing this until each player has two cards to choose from. Keep one, and discard the other. Each player should now have a hand of five cards.
This lets you plan ahead, and gives you more control over what you can do during the round. This can slow the pace somewhat, especially if any of the players are less experienced, but can add an exciting new dimension to the game!
Further Butchery
Stand Together or Die Alone
If you have four players, this variant lets you play a two-on-two team battle.
Split the players into two teams, however you see fit. If both members of a team are slain, the other team claims victory.
Follow all of the rules for setting up and playing, with the following exception. Once per round, when your Initiative card is drawn, you can let your teammate take the turn instead. Take the Initiative card that was drawn and put it in front of you until the end of the round as a reminder that you cannot do this again this round.
Single Combat
If you have two players, this variant adds a little uncertainty to spice up the battle! In the Prepare stage of each round, add an unused Initiative card (belonging to neither player) into the deck before shuffling it. When that card is drawn, each player rolls a dice. The player that rolls the highest can take a turn, as though their Initiative card had been drawn. If both players roll the same number, they must each discard a random Action card from their hand.
Kingslayer
This variant works with three or four players, with one player standing alone against the others.
Determine which player will be the lone Champion in any way you see fit. The remaining players are the Challengers, and must work together to slay the Champion. If they do so, any of them still alive are victorious. If all three Challengers are slain, the Champion claims a glorious victory.
Follow all of the rules for setting up and playing, with these exceptions. In the Prepare stage, the Champion is dealt two additional Action cards if there were two Challengers at the start of the fight, or four additional cards if there were three. (If you are using the drafting rules, the Champion takes these from the cards that are discarded at the end of the draft.)
Whenever the Champion's Initiative card is drawn, they can choose to play two Action cards instead of one.
More Blood for the Blood God!
The clamour and carnage of battle draws more Gorechosen to the arena, each glory-hungry warrior eager to prove their worth to Khorne. Will these new heroes earn the favour of the Blood God, or will their skulls be added to his throne?
Hagreth Doomhand
The skulls of mighty humans, brutal orruks and cunning skaven hang from Hagreth's huge impaling spear – each one offering to the Blood God. The souls of these vanquished warriors howl as Hagreth spins his weapon, its gleaming edge darting out in brutal thrusts to rip open his foes and claim fresh skulls.
Unique Action: Spear Rush. Discard any two Action cards to take this action. Pick a fighter directly in front of you. Push them, then make a two dice attack against them. If you inflict any wounds, you can move into the hex they left.
Attack profiles (constant): To Hit 3+, Wounds 3; and To Hit 3+, Wounds 2.
Hagreth's Kill Zone changes with his Health: while Healthy his Kill Zone is a wide arc of front hexes; while Wounded it narrows to the hexes directly ahead.
Impale: If your attack causes an opponent to draw any Critical Injury cards… while Healthy, they must draw one extra. While Wounded, roll a dice: on a 4, 5 or 6, they must draw one extra.
Tark Gruelgore
A bitter taskmaster, Tark takes dark pleasure from tormenting beasts and turning the enemies of the Bloodbound against him. In the pit, he uses these same tortuous methods of fighting against his foes, tearing into them with cracks of his blood whip and sweeps of his torture blade.
Unique Action: Scourge. Discard any two Action cards to take this action. Pick a fighter in your Kill Zone and roll four dice. For each dice that scores a 4, 5 or 6, that fighter must discard a card from their hand at random, or take a wound if they have no more cards in their hand.
| Kill Zone | Healthy | Wounded |
|---|---|---|
| (surrounding hexes) | To Hit: 3+, Wounds: 3 | To Hit: 4+, Wounds: 3 |
| To Hit: 4+, Wounds: 1 | To Hit: 5+, Wounds: 1 |
Blood Whip: Your opponent discards a card at random (after any Blocks, Parries or Dodges)… for each 6 you roll when making an attack (Healthy) / if you roll any 6s when making an attack (Wounded).
Fexgor the Flayer
Fexgor is a giant armed with a jagged blade and a brutal ball and chain. Each swing of his hackblade is another prayer to Khorne, and the priest likes nothing better than to use its wickedly sharp edge to carve the skin from his foes. Laughing in frenzied glee, he rips flesh free, grinning at each fresh spray of gore.
Unique Action: Blood Bind. Discard any two Action cards to take this action. Pick another fighter and roll a dice. If you score their Wrath or lower, their player must show you their hand. Pick one card, immediately make one of its actions with their fighter, then discard it.
| Kill Zone | Healthy | Wounded |
|---|---|---|
| (surrounding hexes) | To Hit: 3+, Wounds: 3 | To Hit: 5+, Wounds: 3 |
| To Hit: 2+, Wounds: 2 | To Hit: 3+, Wounds: 2 |
Prayers of Wrath: Move your Wrath token up one space after the attack has been resolved if… you inflict at least 5 wounds with a single attack (Healthy) / you inflict at least 7 wounds with a single attack (Wounded).
Atorg Bloodbringer
Smouldering brass winds swirl above Atorg as the bloody Realm of Chaos tears at the sky above his Portal of Skulls. The Bloodsecrator is driven by a vision of the land drowned in gore. In combat, enemies must contend with both his ensorcelled axe and the otherworldly powers surrounding his profane icon.
Unique Action: Portal of Skulls. Discard any two Action cards to take this action. Roll a dice and move your Wrath token up that many spaces. Each other player rolls a dice. On a 3 or less, they move their Wrath token up that many spaces. On a 4 or more, they take that many wounds.
| Kill Zone | Healthy | Wounded |
|---|---|---|
| (surrounding hexes) | To Hit: 3+, Wounds: 3 | To Hit: 4+, Wounds: 2 |
Bloodwake: When you sustain a Critical Injury, roll a dice for each fighter within 2 hexes. They suffer that many wounds (Healthy) / on a 4, 5 or 6, they suffer D3 wounds (Wounded).