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So, I wanted to start AoS 2nd edition since I really enjoyed the matches I had seen played. I asked about allegiances at my local GW but I feel like I was given wrong advise. I wanted to start a Tzeentch army. They showed me the warscroll builder and claimed that since Daemons of Tzeentch and Tzeentch Arcanites are different factions that I'd have to choose one of them and could only add the other as allies or I wouldn't receive my allegiance abilities.

After reading the 2nd edition rules and my battletome, which I guess is still first edition, it seems to me like I could add everything with the Tzeentch keyword to the army and still receive my allegiance abilities, is that right? I also have some old stuff still lying around which would qualify as Slaves to Darkness: Chaos Warriors, Chaos Knights and Chaos Marauders. If I understood correctly I could add these to the main army, too, without compromising the allegiance abilities if they had the Mark of Tzeentch. Is that correct?

They totally mislead you. So long as every model in your army has the TZEENTCH keyword you qualify for the Disciples of Tzeentch allegiance.

 Valander wrote:
They totally mislead you. So long as every model in your army has the TZEENTCH keyword you qualify for the Disciples of Tzeentch allegiance.

Thanks, though I don't think it was malicious, just someone not knowing the rules of the game they were selling. Anyway, so I could use Chaos Warriors with the mark of Tzeentch as a battleline unit? That's super, time to dust off those 10 year old miniatures!

New to Sigmar I was very confused regarding alliances until I read the Generals Handbook. Man did that clarify some things.

Still very new to AoS, so forgive my confusion: Don't the Slaves to Darkness units (Warriors, Knights, Marauders) only gain the keyword from their Mark of Chaos when they're deployed on the battlefield?

Is that sufficient to qualify for the Tzeentch allegiance? I would have thought they would need the keyword when hired, otherwise they would have to count as allies.

I'm happy to be wrong, but perhaps the GW staff had the same confusion...

Keywords for allegiances include ones you assign to units. It's on page 15 of the core rules, under Factions.

Found it, thanks! (For others who may be looking, it's also p. 242 of the Core Rulebook.)

 kadeton wrote:
Still very new to AoS, so forgive my confusion: Don't the Slaves to Darkness units (Warriors, Knights, Marauders) only gain the keyword from their Mark of Chaos when they're deployed on the battlefield?

Is that sufficient to qualify for the Tzeentch allegiance? I would have thought they would need the keyword when hired, otherwise they would have to count as allies.

I'm happy to be wrong, but perhaps the GW staff had the same confusion...

List building and setup is a bit strange in AoS.
You only check allegiance requirements after setup but are required to keep it in mind during list building. So every unit that is assigned a keyword after setup can still be in your army allegiance. Every unit you add to your army during the battle doesn't break your allegiance.
You also only name a general after setup, but GW tells you to pick a Battle Trait during list building when no model is your general yet.

Haha, well I don't feel too bad about being confused!

It seems bizarre to me to write a rule that says "These models gain a keyword after a certain point, but otherwise don't have it," then have another rule that more or less says "Just pretend that those models have the keyword all the time."

Anyway, good to know, and thanks for the heads-up on the General thing too.

It's an artefact of the way the game was originally constructed. Prior to the first GHB, there were no points and the rules simply instructed you to use "your collection". Because there was no list building as such, a number of abilities that altered keywords and the like were written to trigger on set up. In the basic (i.e. open play) game, that's the first time the unit exists for rules purposes.

Hey guys, I thought that I could hi-jack this thread, since I have very similar question, just needs some clarification. So, I'm planning to collect a big army of death, focusing at Grand host of nagash, which will have allies from nighthaunt and flesh-eater courts. (So far everything seems viable). But, can I use warscroll battalion and their bonus (plus artefacts) because they are allies, and are not from the nagash host?

Yes, you can use an ally battalion. You won't get access to their artefacts though.