The Chaos Dwarves return to the tabletop with a reimagining of the faction. The Helsmits of Hashut are back in a big way.
Gamers of a certain vintage remember the Chaos Dwarves from Warhammer Fantasy. Their first appearance was technically in Warhammer Fantasy 4th Edition. For that initial release, they got a handful of units and a chunk of background info. Unfortunately that release was really all the army got for many, many editions. There were hints of them introduced later but, for the most part, that army became a bit of a nostalgic missing-link.
Eventually GW did “update” the army in 8th Edition and Forge World reproduced a bunch of the miniatures with their own flair. But that Legion of Azorgh army was really the last time we saw them on the tabletop in games other than Blood Bowl.
And then the Hobgrots reappeared.
The Hobgrots showed up back in 2021 within the update for the Orruk Warclans. Lots of folks recognized them as a nod to the old Chaos Dwarves and their Hobgoblin … “allies” in the army list. And looking at the miniature you couldn’t help but wonder about these Hobgrot’s origins. That armor, those weapons, the overall design…something was up. And we wouldn’t really find out until last week.
The Helsmiths of Hashut
The reimagined Helsmiths of Hashut are coming to the tabletop soon enough from Games Workshop. They were revealed almost a week ago. I’ve been stewing on talking about them as I wanted to collect my thoughts. I’m looking forward to this new army for Age of Sigmar and I hope that it shakes things up a bit.
Personally, I don’t think I’d start this army. But I do like the looks of it. Maybe one day if I manage to clear some space for another big hobby project I’ll fire up these helforges and build that army. For now, I’m feeling a bit like an outside observer. I am old enough to remember seeing Chaos Dwarves from Warhammer Fantasy. I’m also young enough that never got to play against them in their prime.
While I do appreciate them I don’t have some of the same nostalgia pangs that others might. I really didn’t get a game against them until Age of Sigmar had that Forge World army list. That said, I do like what I’m seeing and I’m also thankful for how GW appears to be rolling out these units.
From what I’m seeing many of these kits are dual-purpose. For example, the Infernal Cohort unit can come with either swords or spears. The Infernal Razers are going to also get two different weapon options.
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It’s a smart move on GW’s part. They are basically doubling the number of units this initial Helsmiths of Hashut release has by making these dual-kits. It’s a way to add a lot of variety to the army and still keep the retail SKUs down.
I also like that they are reimagining classic units like the Bull Centaurs but also creating new, alternate options. It’s a good callback to that nostalgia and also providing something new to build on.
This army also has a few really awesome looking centerpiece miniatures. The Domiiator Engines are fanastic looking. I love the mix if metal and flame they have. There’s also the classic cannon crew which also has an alternate build mode.
And then there’s the BIG kit. That Infernal Taurus miniature looks amazing AND it’s also a dual-kit, too.
Looking over the range it does seem like GW hit a lot of the core units that are needed for an army. They’ve also managed to sprinkle in some unique options, too. Overall, I think they really built a solid foundation for the Chaos Dwarves to build back from. They’ve got lots of room to grow.
The Mysterious Helsmiths of Hashut
It’s still very early to say what’s coming next for them. I mean this is a brand new army and the reveals literally happened less than a week ago. I know the army isn’t out yet but I’m hopeful that it’s going to make a big splash. It’s not every day Age of Sigmar gets a brand new army.
But I think the Helsmiths are on the right track. They are also getting a Warband for Underworlds which I think is a good sign. I’m curious to see how this army will find itself in the pantheon of Age of Sigmar and how their arrival is going to shape the lore. I really think that’s where this army needs to grow the most. While I like the miniatures I want to know where the heck they’ve been hiding!
Honestly, the biggest thing that I think this army has going for it is the mystery of the Helsmiths of Hashut. They’ve apparently been hiding pretty deep and have been battling daemons. Those ground-up daemons have been used to power their weapons and spells. They consider themselves to be of the highest “Order” but find themselves siding with the Chaos Grand Alliance. There’s a big question mark for me on how that all fits together. That intrigue is cool and I want to know how it’s going to be resolved.
For now, I’m still going to wait on this one. I really want to get my hands on the battletome and read-up on the Helsmiths of Hashut. It’s an exciting time when a new army arrives. And, considering the history of the Chaos Dwarves, this is a story that’s been baking for a long time.
How are you feeling about the Helsmiths of Hashut?
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Writer, Editor, Texas Native, and now Tex-Pat, Adam covers all things Tabletop Gaming. Which includes Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, D&D, Board Games and everything else that involves dice, boards, cards and a table.
A hobbyist, player, and collector of miniatures and games, Adam’s current obsession are his Death and Chaos Armies for Age of Sigmar, his Blood Angels and Tyranids for 40k, an expanding collection of Marvel: Crisis Protocol minis, and his ever growing Arkham Horror: The Card Game Collection.
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