Theme - The Exalted

File:Mk4 icon.png Template:Red This mk3 Theme Force will get a similar Legacy Army in mk4, but it hasn't been released yet (as of 2023.03).

As silent as the death that will never embrace them, the exalted ancestors of the skorne strike fear into the enemies of the empire. Guided not by a Tyrant’s whims but instead by their own unknowable understanding, the exalted go to war accompanied by ranks of their immortal companions. Their reasons for marching to battle are known only to them and to the few they choose to communicate with through the extollers who speak on their behalf.

Theme Rules

For the core rules on how Theme Forces work, see this article.

Theme Restrictions

An army made use the The Exalted theme force can include only the following Skorne and Minion models:

• Skorne warlocks
• Non-character warbeasts
• Despoiler
• Template:Exalted models/units
• Template:Extoller models/units
• Paingiver Beast Handlers units
• Void Spirit solos
• Void Archon solos

• This army can also include up to one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will work for Skorne.
  • These models/units can be included even if they have the Partisan [Skorne] rule.
  • Minion units can have non-Ranking Officer attachments.

Requisition Points

You can spend each Requistion Point on either:

• Three Extoller Novititate solos
• Two Immortal Vessel solos
• Two Extoller Soulward solos
• One Skorne command attachment
• One other small- or medium-based Skorne solo worth five points or less

Theme Bonuses

1. Construct models in this army gain Immovable Object

   Template:Immovable Object

   Tip: This benefit applies to Minions too. Notably Malvin & Mayhem

2. Models in this army with a Soul Taker ability each begin the game with one soul token.

   Tip: This benefit applies to Minions too. Notably, the Void Archon.

Thoughts on The Exalted

The Exalted in a nutshell

The Exalted is an awesome-looking and extremely fluffy list made up of Skorne's ambulatory statues, staring down the board menacingly. With almost all your infantry being ARM 17 a lot of anti-infantry tech struggles against you, and with most of your army most of the time being SPD 6, with Vengeance, and the ability to turn incorporeal, you both hit pretty hard and get some tricksy movement abilities.

If you have any sort of MAT buff in your list enemies need to play extremely carefully around you to avoid assassinations; the threat range of an Immortal is 4" +3" (charging) + 3" (Vengeance) + 2" (Reach) + 2" (Ancestral Guardian buff) = 14". The threat range is non-linear and incorporeal models can charge through enemies, so this list brings an assassination threat.

With normally 30 Immortals on the table and an ARM high enough to resist most anti-infantry tech it resembles Cryx's notorious Ghost Fleet in the "Did you bring enough to kill this army" stakes, and as most of your infantry are constructs there's even more tech that won't work against it.

Theme Weaknesses

Bad Matchups

It struggles against both heavy DEF-skew (unless you have a caster than can fix that) and heavy ARM-skew. It is however a lot better with the Supreme Guardian.

Single wound infantry

Your ridiculously high ARM won't help you if your opponent can automatically inflict 1 point of damage. Watch out for stuff like Sniper, Puncture, Continuous Corrosion, and hazards like Breath of Corruption.

List Building Tips

The standard backbone for this list pre-Void Archon is either three units of Immortals with CA and one Supreme Guardian or two and two; it's expected that a pair of Void Archons will replace a Supreme Guardian or unit of Immortals. The requisition options worth six points are Hakaar the Destroyer and the multi-model options; the three Extoller Novititate, two Extoller Soulward, or two Immortal Vessel models. At five it's an Ancestral Guardian, or Abidan the Keeper. Just remember when choosing free models that multiples of solos often get diminishing returns.

A free soul on your Advocate is really useful especially to protect you from incoming shooting on turn one.

It's relatively common in this list to add a couple of utility warbeasts for support; a Basilisk Krea and a Cyclops Shaman are fairly common.

Unusually for Skorne most top level Exalted lists do not use Paingiver Beast Handlers - instead they use up to three Extoller Novititates as their support models, and have small battle groups that provide covering fire and support.

Starting a 25 point Brawl list

In 2020.09 Phillip Melvin, one of the LOS authors, put together this list for the Brawlmachine format. He even wrote about it's playstyle and expanding it beyond 25 points, which you can read here. It has been re-pointed after the 2021 update as the list remains unchanged.

Zaal2: [+29 WBP]

• Agonizer: [5 pts]
• Basilisk Krea: [7 pts]
• Bronzeback Titan: [16 pts]

Hakaar the Destroyer: [6 Pts]

Extoller Novitiate: [2 pts]

Ancestral Guardian: [5 pts] Template:Grey

Swamp Gobber Chef: [1 pt]

Immortals (Max unit): [13 pts]

• Command Attachment: [3 pts]

Total RRP: USD $235 (based on PP's online store prices 2021.05)

Warlock thoughts

Zaal2

He simply rocks this list. He looks like an Immortal (for that matter he is an Immortal) making the visual identity that much stronger. The Immortals are all ARM 22 on his feat turn (and the Guardians and Hakaar higher) and with his Aura of Power the assassination is always on the table. This list is a frequent triple-threat, able to bully the enemy on scenario.

Zaal1

He plays a much more offensive game. With frequently four Ancestral Guardians to Soul Converter to you get a lot of mileage out of his Soul Converter. And Last Stand Assassinations can be murderous. As can Last Stand in general - with the normal caveat you want two attacks out of the Immortals. Problem is that other casters bring similar buffs but don't kill their own troops -

Makeda2

She has a feat for assassination with this army, can protect them all from incoming shooting, and can Stay Death to keep the unit attachments alive. Hakaar under Storm Rager shouldn't be underestimated. And finally Dash makes her Immortals completely immune to Free Strikes as they dash through the enemy.

Zaadesh2

He is the main caster who doesn't go in all the way for this theme; he's mostly a beast-caster. But Immortals at MAT 8 and P+S 15 with Defensive Strike are impressively obnoxious, and that's enough added strength, especially with Hakaar being a Veteran Leader, to enable the Incorporeal Assassination.

Morhoul3

He is an interesting choice, with even more mobility for the Exalted, Stealth on one unit, and Night's Reflection as his de facto MAT buff. And the idea of acrobatic statues has an appeal.

Xerxis1

He makes the list hit harder and a bit tougher. He doesn't have any significant MAT buff so this list doesn't have the same assassination potential as the other options but between Stir the Blood and his feat it hits like a freight train, while Tactical Supremacy is an interesting choice for Immortals.

Dominar Rasheth

He can be surprisingly effective with acces to Incorporeal arcnodes, bringing ARM and DEF debuffs where needed. Immortals striking at MAT 11, P+S 17 are no joke.

Other

Trivia

• Previewed in the PP Insider (2017.08), released in the themeopaclyspe (2017.09)
• Expanded in 2018.10

Other Skorne models

• Category:The Exalted