If you are anything like me, sometimes you just want to run something simple instead of managing eighteen different Warscrolls. So with mighty hypocrisy (shout out Knight players everywhere) we’re talking about the all dragon Stormcast Army of Renown.

The Draconith Skywing.

It’s one of my favorites to play when I want to both have a cool looking army and a relaxed game. Let’s dig in.

1. Army Composition
2. Battle Traits
3. Heroic Trait and Artefact
4. Prayer, Spell and Manifestation Lore’s
5. Warscrolls
6. List
7. Conclusion

Army Composition

The Draconith Skywing is an Army of Renown, and for those who are new and don’t know what that means; in essence it is a secondary way to build your chosen army.

You lose access to all your faction packs battle traits, battle formations, spells, and prayers and in most instances you also lose a large amount of Warscrolls.

In return you get a new set of rules to play with which work around the flavor of the Army of Renown.

In this case the Warscroll restriction is simple. If it’s not a dragon with a capital D (sorry Dracoths) you don’t get to play it.

Playable units includes:

• Ionus Cryptborn
• Krondys
• Karazai
• Knight-Draconis
• Stormdrake Guard

Yeah, it’s not a lot. But you get to run what are objectively (fight me) the best models in the range.

Stormcast were already elite, and now you’re extra elite. Going forward pay attention to how buffs and de-buffs passed out by the army enhances its staying power. You might see a trend.

Battle Traits

The army wants you to run Ionus, he’s essentially not optional. This is shown most clearly by the Shields of the Warden passive ability.

While a friendly Ionus Cryptborn is in combat range of a Stormdrake he has a 4+ ward save. Any wounds you negate with the ward must be passed on to the nearby Stormdrake unit.

We’ll get more into it later but Ionus is no pushover defensively with 16 health and a 3+ save, so this only makes him more durable.

This will keep him alive in the front lines and this army has many more ways than this to enhance durability.

Speaking of which we have Aetheric Cyclone, a once per turn (army) combat phase ability. It’s a rampage which on a 3+ makes a unit in combat range -1 to wound. Elves are actually crying.

Likewise you also have the other once per turn (army) rampage: Thunderous Roar. Which on a 3+ reduces control scores by 5 for the rest of the turn. Reminder everything this army has is control 5.

You won’t lacking in ways to threaten opponents objective control even if your army is only eight models.

The last Battle Trait is Exemplars of Fury which adds 1 to attacks characteristic of companion weapons (sorry Karazai) for friendly Draconith Skywing Heros while they are within 6″ of 2 or more Stormdrake units.

The last one is a bit of a trap. You are very low in activations, so having all your units grouped up isn’t always useful, especially for only 1 extra attack. So this trait acts more like a nice surprise.

Heroic Trait and Artefact

You only get one of each, and you only have one hero which can take these. That’s the Knight-Draconis as he’s non-unique. Keep that in mind going forward.

The heroic trait we can choose is called Fearless Fliers. It’s an end of turn ability (every turn) that lets you move D6″ if you are not in combat, and you are allowed to end that move in combat range.

Mobility wins games, and you’ll need all the movement you can get with so few drops. It also makes you very hard to avoid. It doesnt hurt that the Knight-Draconis slaps in combat, so he’ll likely use this every turn if you pick your targets right.

Our Artefact is the Celestium Ensign, which lets you once per battle at the end of any turn heal all Draconith Skywing units wholly within 12″ flat 3.

Once per game and wholly make this Artefact a bit yikes. Maybe use it for some end game durability but these models have huge bases and keeping anything wholly within any range can be rough.

A reminder again that you are very low in activations. It’s nice when being grouped up is the call, but that’s not something you should rely on.

Prayer, Spell and Manifestation Lore’s

The Draconith Skywing gets a spell, manifestation and prayer lore. Important things to note is that your only casters are Krondys and Ionus which are Wizard (2) and Priest (2) respectively. So if you want to use these lore’s you’ll be bringing those kids.

As we have seen, the army already wants you to take Ionus with Shields of the Warden and the prayers reflect that. So let’s start there.

Your first prayer is Sigmar’s Grace which has a casting value of 4. When chanted you heal a Draconith Skywing unit wholly within 12″ D3. If your chanting roll was an 8+ its 2D3 instead.

This spell is amazing when combined with already strong defensive profiles. Making this something you’re likely casting every turn to keep yourself from losing activations early.

The second prayer is Sanctification which is chanted on a 4. It gives all enemy wizards -1 to cast. That’s cute.

You know what’s cuter?

If your chanting roll is a 10 the -1 is for the rest of the game. If you use Magical Intervention you’ll be able to get this off turn 1 consistently. Even more if you use a place of power.

This has been my answer to manifestations like the Purple Sun, making it a 9 to cast just feels right.

Onto the spells, or I guess uh, spell, we have Regal Authority.

It has a casting value of 7, which is really a 5 because Krondys is our only caster and has +2 to casting rolls. It increases a Draconith Skywing units control score by 5 for the rest of the turn.

Control gets you points, points win you the game. Obviously useful.

The only manifestation you can use is the Stormcast specific Everblaze Comet. Summoned on an 8 before the +2 bonus, it reduces enemy wizard casting rolls by 1 when they’re within 12″. This would be fun to stack alongside Sanctification.

Warscrolls

That’s everything specific to the army itself, so let us take a look at the Warscrolls.

I take Ionus in every list. Which as discussed was likely by design. He’s a big 420 points (Weed number!!!!) and is worth every one of them.

His shooting attack is 9 shots hitting on 2s wounding on 4s. Rend 2, 1 damage.

This shooting attack is amazing because of its accompanying abilities: Spirit-Scouring Flames which lets you pick a unit who took damage from the attack and make them “Soulburned.”

The second ability is Soulburned which you can and will use in every shooting phase. You pick any amount of Soulburned units on the battlefield and they take D3 mortals on a 2+ equal to the roll.

If Ionus dies, you still do this ability. Death won’t save them.

If you’re using covering fire every turn, that can be 10 units which are taking D3 mortals a turn turn 5.Unlikely, but a funny thought.

It’s so hard to convey how amazing this is if you haven’t used it.

That’s just his shooting attack too, it only gets better from here.

He has two melee profiles and they both slap harder than my wife when I forget to get her a birthday gift. Soulbreaker is four attacks on 3s and 3s, rend 1, 2 damage. Its reliable and 2 damage which makes me smile.

But then there’s his mount, our boy Cthorak and his Ancient Claws. Six companion attacks, 4s and 2s, rend 2, damage 3.

Usually Cthorak here just cleans up units for you by himself before Soulbreaker even touches their measly flesh. This is the attack which gets the +1 attacks from the Battle Trait by the way.

We’re not done talking about Ionus “Meet Your New Step-Dad” Cryptborn.

He also has a prayer called Lightning Tempest. It’s answered on a 5 and deals D3 mortals to a unit within 12″. You then pick an enemy unit within 3″ of that unit, and on a 3+ you repeat the process. Repeat until you run out of targets or the roll fails. On a 10+ you chain it to units within 6″ instead.

Damage, damage, damage, and hey, more damage. Ionus is amazing. If you don’t play him you’re bad.

Fly and Priest (2) btw lol.

To round off our Unique hero friends we’ll talk about Karazai and Krondys.

They share the same profile for the most part. Both are 20 health, control 5 with a 3+ save and no ward. Their shooting attack is a one shot which does D3+3 damage.

Meanwhile in melee, their Apex Maw is an ogre eviscerating four attacks on 3s and 2s, rend 2, 4 damage. That’s a Glutton per failed save.

They also don’t get saves thanks to it having Anti-Infantry (+1 Rend).

L nerd.

They also get their Talons six attacks on 3s and 2s, rend 2, 2 damage.

You won’t be lacking for offensives is what I’m saying.

The important differences comes in their abilities.

Karazai reduces 1 from attacks characteristics to an enemy unit in combat range.

He does some cute amount of mortals based on how many models are in a selected unit followed by rolling that many dice. Each 5+ being 1 mortal. It’s neat but I wouldn’t rely on it. Though it’s a rampage so you can’t use the better Battle Trait ones if you use it.

Lastly, as he takes wounds he gets extra attacks. 1 extra per profile when he has taken 5-9. Then 2 more attacks for 10 or more.

Karazai will win nearly any fight. Though it will cost you 500 points. He hasn’t let me down yet however so I will continue to take him and watch units melt.

Krondys meanwhile has the previously mentioned +2 to casting rolls passive. A rampage in the fight phase which lets you turn off commands on a 3+ for the target unit. And lastly his spell.

Atavistic Tempest is cast on an 8, pre +2 bonus, and lets you choose one of three effects to apply to an enemy unit within 18″.

1. -1 to hit
2. -1 rend
3. -1 save

Krondys and me are best friends needless to say. His only downside is that he’s 520 points, which is slightly harder to fit into our lists than the clean 500 point cost of his brother.

The next two units are the Knight-Draconis and Stormdrake Guard.

To save some time, both of these units share the Extremis ability which reflects mortals back at the target for each 6+ to save in melee. Reminder that there is an on demand heal and -1 to wound in this army.

Getting hit sucks, but your opponent will regret hitting you even if just a little bit.

The Knight-Draconis is a solid 280 points and has a huge upside of letting you take a solo Stormdrake instead of their otherwise mandatory 2 man squads. As well, being our only non-unique, he is the only one who can take those enhancements from earlier.

Also, he gives Stormdrake Guard wholly within 12″ a 3+ spell ignore. Another little annoyance for your opponent to deal with.

His melee is straight fire for his points cost with what boils down to 9 rend 2, 2 damage attacks before the Battle Trait buff.

His rampage is a once per turn 2+ to add an attack to the companion weapons of a (you guessed it) Stormdrake Guard unit within combat range.

He’s a good guy, likes to go to IHOP with his family.

Then there’s the true hero’s of the army. My beloved Stormdrake Guard. At 360 points for 2 they are premium.

They roll a bucket of dice when attacking at full strength. Between both dragons they have eight Fang and Talon attacks which hit on 4s and 2s, rend 2, damage 2. Followed by a cute choice between Lances and Swords from the riders.

The lances are better on the charge. At three attacks each with damage 2 on charge. And thanks to their Anti-Infantry (+1 Rend) are rend 2 into optimal targets.

I don’t hate it, but I wouldn’t spam lances. Your dragons have huge bases and once they are in combat getting them out is hard unless you charged. But more on that later.

The swords are 6 attacks each with only rend 1 and damage 1. I don’t know man, this is all about volume. These do more for me in more situations, where as lances are in the “Charge or hit like a pool noodle” bucket.

There is of course their shooting attack as well. Which while only 10″ range, its just another bucket of reliable attacks. With both dragons together it’s eight attacks 2s and 3s, rend 2, 1 damage. The unit can be throwing out around 28 attacks total and that should make your toes feel good.

What makes this unit shine is their rampage. If you charged, on a 3+ in the fight phase, you get to move 2D6 wherever you want, even into a different combat. Then you bomb a unit you went over with D3 mortals.

Without accounting for charge distance this unit can move a hot 36″ in a turn if you also use Power Through for 1 command point.

Nothing is safe from this unit. Make them fear the skies, King.

List

Here is what I’ve been running:

Draconith Skywing
Drops: 2

Prayer Lore – Draconith Skywing Prayer Lore

Regiments
General’s Regiment
Ionus Cryptborn, Warden of Lost Souls (420)
• General
Stormdrake Guard (360)
• 2x Drakerider’s Warblade
Stormdrake Guard (360)
• 2x Drakerider’s Warblade
Stormdrake Guard (360)
• 2x Drakerider’s Lance
Regiment 1
Karazai the Scarred (500)

It’s 2000 on the nose and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. You have:

1. Enough dragons to do each rampage once
2. Ionus to remind people that if they don’t put everything into Karazai he isn’t going anywhere
3. The best looking army at the event

This is what I meant by Karazai fitting neatly into lists. Krondys being that 20 points more keeps the list from being neat and I fear I would be losing an activation to include him over Karazai.

Each activation is a precocious resource so maximizing that is important.

I would like to try a Knight-Draconis list and get some solo Stormdrakes for that extra freedom of movement. It would certainly make the +1 companion attacks trait a lot easier to access as well.

Conclusion

The Draconith Skywing gives up a lot to gain a lot.

It’s hard to miss the old Stormcast Battle Traits when you’re making something -1 attacks and -1 to wound against Karazai or Ionus, followed by healing whatever was lost as your other unit is passing over all your opponents screen to kill their critical wizard.

Stack your buffs, pick your targets carefully, and don’t waste an inch of that movement. Minimum you’ll control the primary game with bricks of control score and powerful control tools.

But that’s all I have this week.

Drink some water, call your mom, and thanks for reading.

Stay safe out there sky warrior.