Hi there,
Over the past few days, I’ve received several messages critically discussing the Dweghom rework. In particular, the design direction has been met with skepticism, often accompanied by the assessment that the army’s overall strength has noticeably declined. At the same time, I get the sense that many of these opinions are being formed without actual gameplay experience—after all, only a few people have truly played the army intensively so far.
My personal impression is considerably more nuanced: the Dweghom still feel resilient, but they are also more versatile than before. Exciting new options and build possibilities have opened up. It seems Para Bellum is deliberately trying to trigger a meta shift here. Whether this actually works will become clear over the coming weeks and tournaments.
In this post, I want to take a closer look at the army and show you which combinations I find exciting, which disappoint me, and—because many of you enjoy rankings (or at least find them amusing) — I will rate each unit/character with up to five points. I’m also aware that some characters have two keywords and a choice of different creeds; I will focus only on the options that seem most sensible to me.
Legend
+++++ Seems to be the best the new army book has to offer
++++- Solid in most situations
+++-- Fulfills its role well but has clear limitations
++--- Playable in specific builds and configurations
+---- I wouldn’t field it
----- The dirt under my fingernails
Clans
Hold Raegh (Warlord: +++++ / non-Warlord: +++--)
For me, the Clan Creed Raegh is currently one of the strongest Warlords the Dweghom have. Of course, he can choose other Creeds as well, but this one really stands out.
At first glance, Oblivious and Iron Discipline might seem unremarkable, but in practice, they are extremely strong: ignoring 50% of a unit’s morale damage is worth its weight in gold. This is especially impactful for Thanes and Dragonslayers with Resolve 4, but even the Ironclad benefits greatly since he has only Resolve 3—everything that gets through his heavy armor would normally deal 50% morale damage. Halving that is huge for such a monster.
Naturally, the Clan Regimenters need to be Awakened. But as a Warlord, Raegh can Awaken two units per round and still has his normal Draw Event to buff a third unit. Important: neither of these is keyword-restricted. On top of that, he gives Flank as a Warlord, which means I can safely get two medium Regimenters onto the table by Round 2. This allows for early zone pressure or secure board presence—things that previously relied heavily on good dice rolls.
Raegh himself is solid as well: 5 attacks, Clash 4 with Cleave 2, hit hard. He can also purchase one Mastery and one Item. Personally, I find The Crown of Ushkelodh particularly notable: for just 25 points, it gives an infantry regiment +2 Impacts and +1 Movement. Thanes on Movement 6? Fantastic. With Stride of the Lost, they even reach Movement 7, letting the “slow” Dweghom apply serious pressure. And then there’s the World Breaker’s Mastery: Awakened units cannot have Defense or Resolve drop below 3. A nice buff, though 50 points is steep, especially since it doesn’t protect against Smite.
Bergont Raegh (Warlord: ++--- / non-Warlord: nicht möglich)
My personal favorite is Raegh mounted on an Ironclad. He simply turns the monster into something absurd: +2 Wounds (so 20 health), both models gain Flawless Strikes, and for just 5 points with Champion’s Horns, the whole setup becomes an absolute wrecking ball.
Granted, he has to be the Warlord, which means Flank only applies to one Heavy Regiment. A second Ironclad is possible, but then you almost want Relentless March as well, so the Mainstay Thanes can move straight into zones.
But if you love the model—or just want to throw an absolute monster at your opponent—for 355 points you get: 18 attacks, Cleave 2, Flawless Strikes, Terrifying 2, Unstoppable, 6 Impacts with Brutal Impact 2. That alone can wipe out almost any MSU army just by showing up.
Defensively, he’s no slouch either: especially when Awakened, he stands with Defense 4, Resolve 4, 20 Wounds, Oblivious, Iron Discipline (so Flank doesn’t bother him). Pure fun—until a unit with Cleave or Smite shows up, because without Evasion that’s his Achilles’ heel. Same goes for Terrifying, since he doesn’t have Fearless. But then again, he’s a enslaved Drake tormented by the Dweghom—if he doesn’t know what fear is, nobody does.
Hold Warriors (++---)
The Hold Warriors are the Dweghom’s standard line infantry and haven’t changed much in the rework. They can be enhanced with Heralds or a Mnemancer’s Apprentice, but at their core, they serve just one purpose for me: getting into zones early with Relentless March or a Stride Aura.
That’s exactly why I give them a middle-of-the-road rating. Yes, they have their place, and at least they’re the cheapest scoring unit in the army book. But whether you really want to rely on them instead of consistently investing in elite troops? I have my doubts.
Hold Ballistae (+++--)
The Ballistae have lost 2" of range and now, like all crossbows, have a range of 16 inches. Still, they remain interesting because they’re cheap and can take Herald of Fire: this allows them to reroll all sixes on attack rolls in both melee and ranged combat. Not exactly a bargain at 15 points, but a cool option as a gap-filler. Thanks to Defense 2 + Shield and 5 Wounds, they’re also still excellent as a taxi for the Tempered Sorcerer, getting him onto the field early and safely.
Hold Thanes (+++++)
Some of you will surely remember the time when Medium Thanes with Movement 6 dominated the game. That era is coming back—but with a twist: nowadays, they need one of the three Dweghom movement buffs (Stride of the Lost, The Crown, or Relentless March, though the latter only applies to the second march).
They now bring Vanguard, allowing them to move straight into zones with the movement buff. With a Clan Creed and a Herald of Stone, they then stand very solidly there, boasting D4 Reroll 6, Resolve 4, and Oblivious. However, they are expensive (195 points including the Herald).
What’s particularly interesting is that the Herald not only provides buffs but also grants the keyword of the chosen Creed. Especially in the Ardent Creed, this opens up synergies with Ardent Kerawegh Supremacy. Whether it’s worth giving up the boring but extremely powerful Oblivious is another question entirely.
Dragonslayer (+++--)
The Dragonslayers are back, just like the Thanes, now with D4. However, they no longer have Hardened and have only 5 Wounds. With The Crown and Stride of the Lost, they reach Movement 7 and now also have Vanguard, allowing them to get into play faster.
Add Echoes of Dheureghodh, which gives them +2 Charge against Monsters, as well as Fearless and immunity to Aura of Death and Lethal Demise. Sounds really strong, and as a Heavy, they suddenly become a viable option again.
However, they face competition from the Ironclads. Ironclads don’t get movement buffs, yet against many targets, they have comparable or even better damage potential. That said, if your opponent heavily relies on Brutes or Monsters without Evasion, the Dragonslayers excel as Fiend Hunters. In most cases, though, I find the infantry buffs are simply more effective on the Medium Infantry.
Ironclad Drake (++++-)
The Ironclad has Resolve 3 without Fearless, making him vulnerable to morale damage, and no Evasion, which means Terrifying and Cleave hit him hard. However, with the Clan Creed, morale damage can be significantly mitigated, provided he is Awakened. That’s usually not a problem, especially since Awakening spreads to all Clan Regimenters within 6".
Whether you choose him over Dragonslayers largely depends on personal preference and the meta. Personally, I prefer the narrower monster base of the Drake, but outside of the Clan Creed, I find it difficult to fit the Ironclad into lists.
Ardent
Exemplar (Warlord ----- / non-Warlord +----)
The new Exemplar comes with a very appealing profile for duels, though because of To the End, it’s better to avoid fights against monsters. In my opinion, his Supremacy is the weakest in the entire roster. His Warband also feels like a strange mix of Ardent and Raegh, and honestly, I see no reason to field him.
Sure, Wardens as Mainstay are strong, and with the Bloody-Minded Focus Mastery, he can take something down with him when he dies. But each of the other six character options impress me much more, either because of their special rules or their Warband. Uziel is currently testing him a bit since he’s new, but he also seems rather skeptical.
Ardent Kerawegh (Warlord ++--- / non-Warlord +++--)
The Ardent has many rules designed to make him shine in duels—but the truth is, he usually doesn’t want to get into them, except perhaps against weaker opponents. The real reason to include him is the spell Rancor, which gives an Ardent regiment Juggernaut. In practice, this usually means Wardens or Lost, and occasionally Thanes if you’re running the Ardent Creed.
This Creed grants all Clan- and Ardent Command Stands Always Die Fighting, which is nice given the low attack count without Flurry, but not outstanding. The additional Awakened condition when successfully charging or destroying an enemy unit is at best a small bonus. The problem is that you have to choose the Ardent Creed if the Ardent is the Warlord. At least the activated part of his Supremacy is quite decent: all Ardent regiments heal four wounds and gain Lethal Demise (4). Do I want him as a Warlord just for that? Not really. But the idea of a Dweghom berserker army that leaps into the enemy and punishes them heavily if they activate and kill it is certainly appealing—how competitive it is, however, remains questionable.
The Ardent Kerawegh works best on Wardens, to whom he can give both Juggernaut and The Crown, while also bringing his Resolve 4. With The Crown, Wardens reach Movement 7, with Stride even Movement 8, and gain a 5" auto-charge thanks to Juggernaut.
Flame Berserker (++---)
I like the idea of an “Ardent Supremacy Berserker Bomb” (4+ Berserkers, 2 Ardents for Juggernaut, Ancestor with Lost and Relentless March), and as long as there isn’t much shooting in the meta, it’s actually worth considering.
However, if the shift moves to D4 or the opponent brings enough shooters, the Berserkers fall far too quickly with D2 despite morale immunity, or they simply don’t deal enough damage. That’s too much risk for me. Still, the synergy between the Ardent Creed and the Supremacy of the Ardent Kerawegh is really well executed.
Initiates (-----)
The Initiates are very reminiscent of the Hoplites of the City States: with Shields and Phalanx, they are very stable frontally, and Pike Formation strengthens that even further. With a Herald of Stone, you can also give them RR6 in defense, making frontal attacks very unattractive for most opponents.
Unfortunately, they only have Clash 2 and, due to the Phalanx special rule, cannot perform an Inspire action. This means you always need to place a melee character in the regiment to prevent the enemy from simply moving in with a Move Charge and slowly grinding down the Initiates. Alternatively, the opponent can attack from the flank, and then the regiment quickly breaks due to Resolve 2.
At the moment, in my view, they are a bit of a codex relic—perhaps they could be interesting with the Clans keyword and Vanguard, but as things stand, I don’t see a reason to field them.
Wardens (++++-)
The Wardens are offensively almost everything you could want from Dweghom when Awakened: Clash 3, five attacks, Flurry, Cleave 1, and Linebreaker. With Movement 6, a Standard, and Devout, they become even more attractive. Devout synergizes perfectly with the Juggernaut spell from the Ardent Kerawegh.
If you place an Ardent Kerawegh or a Lost Ancestor in the unit, they additionally benefit from Resolve 4 and Fearless. Like any infantry, they also gain massively from The Crown: +1 Movement and +2 Impacts make them dangerously aggressive. Combined with the Stride Aura from the Lost, they can reach Movement 8, giving them range that many opponents don’t expect, while still having a strong chance to hit hard on the charge.
Lost (+++--)
The Lost are the melee variant of the new Brutes and carry the Ardent and Tempered keywords. At 180 points, they may seem expensive at first, but with Defense 3, Resolve 4, and 6 Wounds, they are solid enough.
They only become really interesting when Awakened, which most Dweghom lists can easily manage. Then, through the Draw Event Fires of the Descent, they can grant a regiment Relentless Blows within 8". At the same time, their Stride Aura activates, giving all infantry regiments within 8" +1 Movement. This makes them almost a must-pick in infantry-heavy lists, especially in combination with Wardens.
Their offensive potential is solid with Clash 3, five attacks, and three impacts—and even better with Relentless Blows. It’s a bit unfortunate that they don’t have the Forged keyword and can only Awaken themselves via the Ancestor, but there are plenty of other sources for Awakening anyway.
Tempered & Forged
Forged in General
All Forged regiments that haven’t used an Elemental Power Token during a round generate one at the end of their activation. If you’re not playing in the Tempered Creed, there’s no cap on tokens, but usually you build up a reserve in the early rounds, which is then quickly spent in the midgame—roughly rounds four to six.
Lost Ancestor (Warlord +---- / non-Warlord +++--)
The new Lost Ancestor brings an exceptionally solid Warband, which includes the Steelforged, one of the Dweghom’s best elite regiments. He himself hits almost as hard as a Raegh, has two spells of his own that can, among other things, distribute Dread, and can also choose an Elemental Discipline. While he is only Wizard 6 and does not automatically have Die Fighting, that can be easily purchased for 5 points.
Additionally, he has a Draw Event that makes his own regiment Awakened, and he allows Lost-&-Found regiments to become Awakened at the start of their activation for two Elemental Tokens, provided he is on the field.
On paper, all of this sounds strong, but in practice, my expectations of him are usually higher than his actual performance. He isn’t a must-pick for me, but given that I have Wardens, Lost, and Fireforged as Mainstay and Steelforged as Restricted, he still has a secure place in both my Tempered and Clan lists.
Tempered Sorcerer (Warlord ++--- / non-Warlord +++--)
In melee, the Tempered Sorcerer remains a bit of a weakling—but that’s not really his role. His strength clearly lies in Wizard 7 and the choice between the Fire, Earth, or Magma schools. So far, Fire convinces me the most, whether in Clan or Tempered Creed. Magma and Earth also have their strengths, but the damage potential combined with range usually makes Fire the most practical. That said, Earth has worked well for me with the Ancestor and also a non-Warlord Sorcerer.
On top of that, the Sorcerer brings four shots at 16", so he isn’t completely useless outside of magic.
I like to place him on a Hellbringer, from where he can unleash Fireball or Coruscation, bringing death and destruction to the field. When playing the Tempered Creed, all spells generate Elemental Tokens, and wizards can buy up to +1 Wizard for a spell three times, for a maximum of +3.
As a Warlord, he becomes even more interesting: he can cast twice per round, and all Tempered characters (including the Lost Ancestor) can draw line of sight from an Awakened Forged Regiment. Each regiment can only serve as an anchor once per turn, but with Wizard 10, a Coruscation or Fireball can wipe out an entire unit.
This becomes especially strong in combination with the Thaumaturge Mastery, which grants +1 Wizard upon destroying a regiment, up to a maximum of +2. His main weakness remains Interference, and he relies heavily on making sure this single character completes both actions and targets the right units.
Tempered Steelshaper (Warlord +++-- / non-Warlord +++--)
The Steelshaper lost his ranged attack with the rework, but gained Smite and Terrifying. He comes with four attacks by default, but can be increased to five attacks for 5 points via the Horn. This is particularly effective when combined with the Ferric Throne Mastery and deploying him on a Stoneforged. In my opinion, this is currently the best way to play both options. The stability, damage, and movement of the Steelshaper on Stoneforged are roughly on par with a Raegh on Drake. Offensively, the Drake with rider is slightly stronger, but the Steelshaper on the Throne is more stable. The most important difference: the Drake looks cooler, but must be the Warlord.
In terms of spells, he has full access to the Steel School, including Unmake Armor. Unfortunately, it now has Scaling and matches the target’s Attunement, but for every point of armor, Hardened is also removed from the opponent. His other two spells are also useful, both on the Throne and with other Dweghom troops. Forged regiments especially benefit from his buffs. Situationally, enemy spells targeting friendly Forged regiments within 10" now require an additional success.
Personally, the Steelshaper hasn’t convinced me so far, likely because my preferred playstyle doesn’t suit him and I generally remain a bit skeptical of Heavy Regiments. That colors my perception negatively. His Supremacy also seems cool, but since it only allows me to restore a Stand once per game, I tend to prefer other options.
Stoneforged (without rider ++--- / with rider ++++-)
Most of this has already been mentioned in the Steelshaper section, but for completeness: with Defense 4, Resolve 4, and 20 Wounds, the unit is fairly sturdy. It can heal three Wounds for one token or gains +2 Movement, reaching Movement 8 with a Re-Roll on the charge. That’s simply strong. By itself, it hits a bit weakly with only 10 attacks, but with a Steelshaper on top, it can seriously hurt most targets.
Hellbringer Drake (without rider ++--- / with rider +++--)
The Hellbringer has lost Evasion 2, Overcharged, and the ability to prevent damage by removing tokens. This makes it significantly more vulnerable and, in my opinion, less attractive than before. Without a rider, it brings a maximum of 12 shots with AP 2 to the table—decent, but not especially impressive with Volley 2.
On the plus side, it is Medium, has Height 3, and makes a good platform for a Tempered Sorcerer, who can safely strike the battlefield with fire spells from behind infantry or Brutes. When facing D4 units on the opponent’s side, it becomes very useful—though more shots or a better chance to hit would make it even better.
Found (+++--)
If they were 20 points cheaper, I would always take three of them. As it stands, I usually only fit one regiment into my list. They are the Dweghom unit with the longest range when using an Elemental Token, and with Height 2, they can comfortably shoot over infantry. It’s a shame that you can’t place a Tempered Sorcerer Warlord in them, as he is restricted to the Hellbringer.
The Battery special rule, which reduces enemy movement, ranges from “super strong”—for example in combination with Fear from the Ardent or Broken Ground from the Earth discipline—to completely irrelevant. Most of the time, though, I found it useful, especially against opponents who rely heavily on Charge Clash and special rules like Phalanx or Juggernaut to maintain precise distances.
Magmaforged (+----)
On paper, they sound exciting: medium infantry with Empowerment abilities for Defense 4 or +2 Charge. In practice, this gets them to Charge 8, and even 9 with The Crown. However, I don’t really want to invest The Crown in this unit, and activating the defensive buffs is often cumbersome. With only four attacks, there are better options in this points range.
For me, the Magmaforged directly compete with the Hold Thanes, and I see few reasons to prefer them—unless the opponent only brings Defense 4 units and I urgently need tokens from the Forged keyword. A Steelshaper could further boost their offensive power, but Cleave is already abundant in Dweghom lists.
Inferno Automata (+++--)
With the rework, the Automata are now Mainstay for the Steelshaper and Tempered Sorcerer, and in my view currently one of the most attractive light choices. Their options for additional Movement and Impacts make them flexible, and they reliably generate Tokens on the side.
Their most obvious use—as an Arc Node for a Tempered Sorcerer Warlord—no longer applies, as they simply lack a Command Stand, and without it they cannot utilize Supremacy. I initially played this incorrectly and was understandably disappointed when I realized the mistake. Still, in Clan or mixed lists, they are extremely solid, control space effectively, and are both stable and impactful for a Light unit. In my Tempered lists, they are often the preferred Mainstay.
Steelforged (+++++)
The Steelforged are medium, sturdy, not slow, pack a lot of attacks, and generate Tokens. The only thing that could make them even better would be the ability to receive infantry Movement buffs.
Since they became Restricted under the Lost Ancestor, they frequently appear in my lists. They eagerly consume Tokens, and I’m happy to spend them for +2 attacks and/or Hardened 1. With Defense 4, Resolve 4, and 5 Wounds, they are the workhorse among the Forged, and having two of them is a must for me when running Forged. Additionally, they have a Leader and can therefore serve as an Arc Node for a Tempered Sorcerer Warlord. That said, I also find them very effective in a Clan list.
Fireforged (++---)
The new Fireforged are a noticeable downgrade: Barrage 3, Range 14, and AP 1. With an Elemental Token, they can be pushed to Barrage 5, but for many players, that isn’t particularly effective. At 160 points, they are cheap in the Dweghom book, and with Defense 4 (thanks to shields), Resolve 3, and 5 Wounds, they’re solid—but Size 1 and no bonuses to hit reduce their overall value. An Empowered bonus to range would have worked wonders here.
The Flamecaster is often debated: some consider him a trap, others strong. Being able to shoot in melee is definitely powerful, especially since you land in optimal range and can reach 19 shots with Tokens. If this attack required a Resolve test or if the Flamecaster were cheaper than 20 points, I would be more inclined to use him. As it stands, the Fireforged are usually just a cheap Forged Mainstay or a solid Arc Node for the Tempered Sorcerer Warlord. Nothing more, nothing less.
Final Thoughts:
Am I satisfied with the update? That’s hard for me to answer definitively, as I usually only borrow the army from my partner, and I’ve never been particularly drawn to the Dweghom playstyle. For me, the update feels like a mix of many new options and interesting ideas, some of which are still a bit rough around the edges, but overall it elevates the faction to a solid mid-tier level.
Meaningful scoring is now possible from round two independently of the Warlord, and you can field almost entirely Defense 4 medium armies, forcing your opponent to question whether they have enough answers. Most importantly, the speed boost is a game-changer for the army. With Clans and Ardents, you can now field very fast infantry lists that almost feel deserving of a “stock horse” to mock human cavalry lists—this compensates for me somewhat. However, it doesn’t seem to be the direction many Dweghom players were hoping for, at least judging by Discord discussions.
What are your thoughts on the new Dweghom? Did you find this article helpful? Feel free to write to me here, on Discord, or by email.
Cheers,
Hanna
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