Nighthaunt, the Ghost Host of your nightmares is already a fantastic army, and I’m hoping Age of Sigmar 4.0 will make it even better.
Welcome in, Generals of the Realms. Ever since their first appearance back in 2nd Edition, the Nighthaunt have been an iconic part of the Realms. Rising from the earth to do the dark bidding of their master, these spectres are one of the primary antagonists of the Stormcast. Even with the Skaven rising to take their place as the new threat, the Nighthaunt remain an integral part of the lore and the darker side of Age of Sigmar. However, they could always do with a little improvement, and I think AoS 4.0 is the perfect time to make them just a little closer to lore. While they’re already incredible, there are a few things on my wishlist for them in the new edition.
More Impactful Nighthaunt Reserves
In the lore, the Nighthaunt are described as bursting from the ground, surrounding their foes, and assailing them from all angles. These shock attacks sow fear in the hearts of their enemies and give the Nighthaunt a distinct tactical advantage. While the Nighthaunt can already arrive from reserves, and their charge abilities represent their terror strikes, I’d love to see a combination of the two. Nighthaunt reserves should be able to come in closer than normal to the enemy (maybe not all at once, but at least one unit), and their arrival should have an effect. Maybe when they show up, every unit within 12″ has to make a leadership check or suffer a penalty. Since this is the edition of reactive fighting, I’d also love to see Nighthaunt able to arrive from reserves in the enemy turn to represent them waiting in ambush to strike.
Nighthaunt Big Monsters
Nighthaunt have always had the Coach, one of my favorite models in all of AoS, but they need something bigger. They used to be able to take the Mournghul, but I think that went out with the Rogue Idol. I think that’s a shame, and Nighthaunt should get some kind of big hitter. Nagash has no shortage of access to larger monsters, so it makes sense he’d have access to their souls as well. Ghostly Dragons, massive carnivorous Wraiths, or other horrible spirits could make up the new Nighthaunt roster. After all, all the other Death armies have a big monstrosity; it’s high time for a little equity among armies.
More Nighthaunt Wizards
Let’s face it; Nighthaunt aren’t the shock hitter army anymore now that Flesh-Eater Courts are here. They have always felt more like the hit-and-run high magic force to me, and I think they need a few more Wizards to stir up the spirits. Having a combat caster like Reiknor be a non-unique option would be amazing. I’m not holding my breath for this one, but it would be really cool regardless.
What do you want to see for Nighthaunt in the new edition?
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From North Carolina to Texas and back to North Carolina again, Clint lives the life of a traveling artist. An avid gamer, writer, actor, pyrotechnician, and general nerd, he has finally turned his love of EDH into a career. When not busy being a clueless cowboy, Winterfell Bannermen, or whatever else acting life throws at him, he enjoys reading folklore from around the world, writing narratives for his Wargaming armies, or running D&D 5e games as a professional DM. Look for his storytelling podcast, By the Dancing Fire, or find him on Twitch at FeybornPhyrexian, where he produces MTG content.
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