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I have yet to properly dip my toes into the murky AoS waters - but those steampunk dwarfs I was impressed with from the first minute. So after accidentally aquiring a box of "Aether War", I now want to build a force of Kharadron Overlords based on it.

I have some knowledge of AoS in general, and both the rulebook as well as the KO 2.0 book will be aquired sooner rather than later. With the current production lockdown at GW that might take a bit longer though. I hope not all my question would be answered by simply checking either of those books!

1.) If I build the AW models as they come - i.e. following the pictures and instructions for weapon options - do I end up with a reasonable army? How many points would that be?
2.) What would be a reasonable expansion from there? The SC box looks good to me. Where would I stand in terms of points with that one added?
3.) Do Thundriks Profiteers make for a useful AoS unit? Or would the models be better used as additions to other units of their kind (plus a Khemist for less $$$ than the character blister)?
4.) I have seen some articles in WD for themed armies based in different realms, which I found to be really cool. Are KO around in all realms, and which would make more or less sense for them to be around?
5.) With the absolutely awesome mega giants upcoming: does it make background sense for KO to hire one of them? I'm just really looking for an excuse to use the model...
6.) Is the GH2019 in any way necessary with the more recent KO battletome? And/or does it add enough in gameplay variety to justify the additional cost?

I think that's it for now. Thanks in advance to anybody taking the time to respond, much appreciated!

You keep mentioning that you accidentally acquired Aether War. How does one manage that?

Tell us the story & maybe one of us will pull our KO Tome off the shelf for you.

One aspect about the AoS lore to grasp is that unlike in the Old World and in 40K; in AoS there are not exactly single factions.

Instead each faction has core settlements and establishments in various realms. For example the primary home and temples of the Daughters of Khaine are in the Realm of Shadow.


However each faction also sprawls in general over most of the other realms. Each Realm in itself is vast so there's ample room for a whole kingdom of any race you want to exist within any of the realms without ever interfering with the main narrative.




Now Khadorans are even more spread out, they are basically dwarves who live in vast sky cities. They are also one of the primary means of transport and trade between the realms, especially for those who can't or don't travel the realms themselves. So they, almost more than any other faction, have ample justification to come from any realm you want.
Note that the Realm theme rules are "not always" used in games. It's part of a set of optional rules that bolt onto the core and are either used or not based on your local club. Some local groups use them all time time; others never; some when you ask etc... They offer things like unique spells and artifacts, but they are much like sub-factions in that whilst they are a neat thing; they vary and tend to have a specific focus so many people are more happy to allow flexibility in which you choose to use.
You'd have to read the Tome to see if they come from a majority of a specific realm (if they do then I'd wager its the Realm of Metal where most of the Dwarves were based until Chaos kicked them out - creating the Disspossesed who now form part of the allied nation of the Cities of Sigmar)



As for giants as allies, they are less likely to be allies (allies typically have to come from within your own Grand Alliance and Giants are Destruction whilst KO are Order); so they'd come as mercenaries instead. KO are, because of their roaming nature, again ideally placed to take on mercenaries so having them with a giant makes perfect sense.


The GHB is, like 40K, now two books sold as one. One part is points updates which you can get off the warscroll builder on the GW website. The other part is additional rules and features. It's neat to get for those additional features and it has mercenary rules and details within it. That said its not essential to start out with it.







For starting out all you need is a copy of the rules - I'd get the Rules companion book which is basically all the rules plus a lot of hte GHB released rules all in one neat volume. Not that's not the traditional "BIG RULE BOOK" which only has the core rules (and a LOT of the lore and art -being more a lore book than reference book for rules). It also has the endless spell rules that you'd get in the Malign Sorcery boxed set.

After that the Battletome and then the FAQ/Errata documents, which don't change a huge amount ,but have some adjustments and clarifications.



From there there's two expansions - Malign Sorcery and Forbidden Powers - both of which come with Endless Spell models which can be used by any faction - NOTE - I forget if KO have any mages or not. I've a gut feeling that, being Dwarves, they might not which means they might not be able to use them at all - no wizard no endless spell. Do check on this.

 Overread wrote:

As for giants as allies, they are less likely to be allies (allies typically have to come from within your own Grand Alliance and Giants are Destruction whilst KO are Order); so they'd come as mercenaries instead. KO are, because of their roaming nature, again ideally placed to take on mercenaries so having them with a giant makes perfect sense.

Splitting of hairs here about what to call them. The effect is the same. AND GW has said that the giants will be able to be allied with/used by all factions.

 Overread wrote:

From there there's two expansions - Malign Sorcery and Forbidden Powers - both of which come with Endless Spell models which can be used by any faction - NOTE - I forget if KO have any mages or not. I've a gut feeling that, being Dwarves, they might not which means they might not be able to use them at all - no wizard no endless spell. Do check on this.

KO don't have wizards//mages/priests of their own. They DO have allies though - Dispossessed, Fyreslayers, Ironweld Arsenal, & Stormcast Eternals.
Stormcast have mages, can dispell, access to endless spells & faction specific endless spells. Fyreslayers have priests & their own prayers. Dispossessed have Runelords (priests) that can dispell.
Only downside here is that none of these can ride in the KO boats

KO have the Spell in a Bottle Relic, which allows them to have 1 of any endless spell, even faction locked ones.

ccs wrote:
You keep mentioning that you accidentally acquired Aether War. How does one manage that?

Tell us the story & maybe one of us will pull our KO Tome off the shelf for you.

Well... so I do have Thousand Sons, more than enough actually. Same for Daemons. So the Tzeentch half of AW is pretty nice for both. I also always liked the KO models. Then I see an auction on 'bay for the AW box, and being bored set a price I'm sure would never make it. That price made it. Sooo... yeah, kind of by accident.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not unlucky with this. It just came to me a bit unexpected.

The funny thing about 'well it's one-in-a-hundred but I may as well try' is that one of those hundred tries you actually succeed

Ork-en Man wrote:
KO have the Spell in a Bottle Relic, which allows them to have 1 of any endless spell, even faction locked ones.

I forgot about that. I I was only thinking of caster type models.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Darnok wrote:

ccs wrote:
You keep mentioning that you accidentally acquired Aether War. How does one manage that?

Tell us the story & maybe one of us will pull our KO Tome off the shelf for you.

Well... so I do have Thousand Sons, more than enough actually. Same for Daemons. So the Tzeentch half of AW is pretty nice for both. I also always liked the KO models. Then I see an auction on 'bay for the AW box, and being bored set a price I'm sure would never make it. That price made it. Sooo... yeah, kind of by accident.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not unlucky with this. It just came to me a bit unexpected.

Ah. Been there, done that.

Dwarves are typically anti-magic, but you have some great ways to snuff out the other guys endless spells instead.

You could ally in a runelord he gets +2 to dispelling rolls, you'll not be using his prayers unless you also have a cities dispossessed unit though.

Fyreslayers of course can use priests for endless spells and countering spells.

KO have the navigator but unless the other guy has flying units he'll again just be there to stop endless spells.

Radio Free Hammerhal(Youtube) has been doing some KO video’s recently that may be of value to you Darnok.