"Chieftains are the bravest, most warlike among their kind -- hurling themselves into the fray and remaining until the very end."
Marauder Chieftains are the mighty leaders of the Northmen's Chaos Marauders, fearsome warriors who are greatly favoured by the Dark Gods.
Role[]
A Marauder Chieftain leading his tribe into battle.
The tribes of the Northmen that flock southwards from Norsca, the Eastern Steppes and the Chaos Wastes with any Chaos invasion are known by those in their path as Chaos Marauders. These savage barbarians fight with heavy axes and cruelly barbed flails, and charge in great howling mobs towards the foe. They have little fear of dying in battle, for they know that they fight under the scrutiny of their gods, and that cowards are beneath their deities' notice.[1]
The chieftains that lead these barbaric warriors are a daunting sight, brooding hulks of muscle and hair whose bodies are covered in the scars and trophies of battle. Bearing weapons worn from dealing a thousand mortal injuries to those foolish enough to face them, these savage leaders are independent and fierce. Such battle-hardened killers are the products of a people so steeped in conflict that, even in times of prosperity, they will fight to the death for the honour of leading the next raid.[1]
Among the Norscans, Marauder Chieftains are blessed with Chaos Steeds, fearsome Daemon Weapons and other mighty boons. They reside in massive, grand halls where they and their Huscarls feast and receive visitors. These halls are usually made from upturned longship hulls, specially-built great round huts or constructed in natural caves, always at the foot of some unholy monument used to summon Daemons to a chieftain's cause.[1]
Skeggi Chieftains[]
The chieftains and Marauder Champions of the Skeggi tribe are no less warlike than their cousins in Norsca. They may forgo the wearing of heavy armour due to the sweltering heat of Lustria, but they are very well-equipped, and blessed with the mutational "gifts" of the Chaos Gods.
Some ride upon great Cold Ones, leading the warbands of the Skeggi to battle in the search for pillage and blood.
Kurgan Chieftains[]
Though there are differences between each of the Kurgan tribes, most notably the Chaos God whom they serve, they all value strength over any other virtue. They are a people of hardened warriors. Courage, skill, and brawn are their celebrated traits.[4]
The most powerful warrior of the tribe is called the "zar," the Kurgan's name for their chieftain and in imitation to the tzars of Kislev. The zar holds his position by dint of his power, the favour of his divine master, and the loyalty of his warriors, which he earns by bestowing onto them gifts for their service. Facial scarring is the clearest sign of a zar's ability, and once a battle is won, the tribe's shaman-sorcerer makes an incision on the leader's cheek.[4]
Tong Chieftains[]
The chieftains of the mysterious Tong tribes are known as "khagans." It is they who lead the warhosts of the Tong from the Chaos Wastes and into the Far East, slaughtering and pillaging in their wake.[5]
Hung Chieftains[]
The chieftains of the murderous Hung tribes are known as "kahns." They are among the cruellest and most untrustworthy of their kind.[5]
Notable Marauder Chieftains[]
- Barakus the Godslayer - Barakus the Godslayer was a great chieftain who rose to become a Daemon Prince of Khorne.
- Drenok Johansen - Drenok Johansen was the "Wielder of the Great Axe" and the chieftain of the Iceblood tribe.
- Grydal - Grydal was the chieftain of the Snaegr tribe of Norsca who was renowned as the "Scourge of the South," who bears the Mark of Khorne and the status of an Exalted Daemon who has attained mastery over his new form following his possession.
- Svengar of the Skaelings - Svengar was the titanic Chaos Lord of the Norscans and chieftain of the Skaelings who fought the Grail Companion, Marcus of Bordeleaux, in ancient times during an invasion of the lands of the Bretonni.
- Teiyogtei Khagan - Teiyogtei was a mighty khagan and chieftain of the Tong, who in ancient times forged a great empire across the Eastern Steppes.
- Urlfdaemonkin - Urlfdaemonkin was an ancient chieftain of the Snaegr tribe of Norsca, who ascended to become a mighty Daemon Prince of Khorne with the ability to impart the Mark of Khorne upon a supplicant.
- Valgar the Butcher - Valgar was a Norscan chieftain who led an unholy crusade into the desert-realm of Nehekhara.
Miniatures[]
Game History[]
Originally, Marauder Chieftains were simple Chaos Champion units in Warhammer Fantasy Battles, fighting within Chaos Maruader regiments while possessing slightly better statistics than a standard Marauder. Lore-wise, however, many Marauder Chieftains rivalled Exalted Heroes and even some Chaos Lords in terms of power and influence. In addition to this, a Chaos Lord who rules over one or more tribes of Northmen could technically be considered a Marauder Chieftain, though their other titles likely superseded this.
Upon the release of Total War: Warhammer's Norsca DLC, Marauder Chieftains took on a pure leadership role, acting as deadly, single units as opposed to being part of a larger regiment.