Workshop Wednesday: ‘Warhammer The Old World — Tomb Kings Of Khemri’
by Anton Kromoff
Welcome to the table,
Workshop Wednesday is my little slice of the day where I can dive into all sorts of things Games Workshop-related. In honor of our Something Spooky, I’m going to talk a little bit about the undead warlords of Warhammer Old World, known as the Tomb Kings of Khemri.
As it is the season of ghosts and goblins, I thought an undead army of skeletal soldiers under the sway of undead wizard kings would be an excellent choice for this Workshop Wednesday.
The Tomb Kings were rulers of a vast kingdom known as Kehekhara. These lords ruled thousands of years before the central events of Warhammer: The Old World and were buried in massive pyramids. They, of course, did not stay buried, as is typically what happens with ancient spooky civilizations.
A powerful lich by the name of Nagash, performed a wildly powerful necromantic ritual, raising everyone in Nehekhara under his sway. However, as is the nature of fun stories, just at the last moment, when it seemed Nagash had all he ever wanted, the ghost of his wife, bad things happened. Some really unhinged rad warriors, and a double-undead conqueror with a magical sword cut Nagash down, freeing all the undead under his control of his sway.
The weaker undead crumbled on the spot, but the more powerful undead who had been tended to by a cult of fanatics so their bodies were preserved, anointed, and ready for unlife, just shrugged and went back to their kingdoms. They set about rebuilding their various idols, studying their powerful spells, and managing their vast collection of undead minions.
The Khemri Edition of the Tomb Kings boasts a slew of rad minis to get you started at the gaming table. Khemri, being the largest and grandest of the Tomb Kings kingdoms, is an appropriate name for this edition because this box comes with minis, dice, templates, and more.
There are 93 minis in the box, including 32 Skeleton Archers, 40 Skeleton Warriors, 16 Skeleton Horsemen, 3 Skeleton Chariots, 1 Tomb King, and one Liche Priest on a Necrolith Bone Dragon.
The Liche Priest on a Necrolith Bone Dragon is such a cool mini. There are a few ways you can build it. Not only is it this intimidating undead dragon with an undead wizard mount, but it has an option where you can set it up with an undead cat. The idea of an immortal wizard and his pet hanging out on this undead death monster is just delightful to me.
Tomb Kings in an arid desert are, of course, going to need some really cool guardians. Those come in the form of entities known as the Ushabti. The Ushabti are these hulking statues carved into the likeness of the gods and goddesses of ancient Nehekhara. When the Lich Priests lace them with their necromantic magics, these massive statues animate and serve the Tomb Kings, are powerful guardians.
Ushabti come in a multipart metal kit that allows you to build three Ushabti for use in your Tomb Kings of Khemri army. Each is crafted in the image of a God or Goddess of Nehekhara and towers over regular infantry. They are armed with massive glaive-like ritual blades for slicing through any who opposes them.
While the Tomb Kings are rad undead warlords, they have a cult of Liche Priests in their service to keep their necromantic magics flowing. I love the Liche Priest miniatures because the kit really lets you kind of capture how you want your undead casters to look. There are 4 heads, 2 staff toppers, 1 set of scales, alternate hands, and other cool accessories to really sell the spooky undead look.
If you are not looking to get into the hobby under the banner of the dead lords of Nehekhara, you can always just grab a single Tomb King miniature. The awakened ruler rides on a chariot pulled by majestic skeletal steeds, ready to clash with all the other forces of the Old World. The multipart kit has skeleton horses, a chariot, an undead rider who can represent a Tomb King or Tomb Prince, and, if you really want, a base to put your Tomb King on the ground rather than having it commanding its chariot.
Until next time, while there is a slew of horrors in Warhammer: The Old World, the very classic undead mummy look of the Tomb Kings feels wildly nostalgic and very classic, coded for this spooky season.
