Barnabas, Lord of Blood
Please help review these models: (and/or the rest) | (Edit) | ||
![]() |
Barnabas, Lord of Blood |
There are few living things that have accomplished as much as Barnabas, Lord of Blood. Having achieved his goal of transfiguration amid gory carnage, Barnabas has risen from death as a god. Wielding the dark magic of his people, augmented by his own defiance of death, the Lord of Blood goes to battle attended by undead skeletal companions called bone shakers. Together they collect bloody sacrifices from the flesh of any who would oppose his growing cult.
Basic Info
Barnabas
Barnabas2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
- Minion - In a 2+ warlock game, he can work as a Circle, Legion, Skorne, or Trollbloods
- Warlock Unit - All warlocks come with a stack of standard special rules - most notably being awesome. Furthermore, this warlock comes with some grunts that can be ordered around. Click here for a newbie-friendly recap, or click here for the full rules.
- This unit is made up of Barnabas and three Bone Shakers.
Feat: Death Ritual
Immediately RFP one or more friendly living or undead models currently in Barnabas' control range. For each model removed, Barnabas gains 1 corpse token, 1 fury point, or removes d3 damage points from a model in his battlegroup. Barnabas cannot exceed his FURY as a result of Death Ritual.
Abilities
-
Amphibious
-
Tough
- Bone Pile - When a model in this unit destroys a living or undead enemy model with a melee attack, this model gains the destroyed model’s corpse token and the destroyed model is RFP'd. This model can have up to three corpse tokens at any time.
- Gatorman - This model is a Gatorman.
- Gatorman Warlock - This model can only have Minion Gatorman warbeasts in its battlegroup.
- Meat-Fueled - This model gains +1 STR for each corpse token on it.
- Sacrificial Pawn [ Bone Shaker ] - When this model is directly hit by an enemy ranged attack, you can have one friendly, non-incorporeal Bone Shaker model within 3" of it directly hit instead. That model is automatically hit and suffers all damage and effects. The Sacrificial Pawn special rule can only trigger once per attack roll.
- Steady - This model cannot become knocked down.
- Tide of Skulls - During the Control Phase this model can spend corpse tokens to add to play Bone Shaker models to this unit. For each corpse token spent, add one Bone Shaker model. Added models must be placed in formation and within 3˝ of another model in its unit and must forfeit their Combat Action the turn they are put into play. There cannot be more than three Bone Shaker models in this unit in play at any time.
Weapons
- Axe - 2" reach, P+S 15 melee weapon
- Bite - 0.5" reach, P+S 14
- Grievous Wounds - A model hit by this weapon loses Tough and cannot have damage removed from it for one round.
Spells
COST | RNG | AOE | POW | DUR | OFF | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blood Rain
|
3 | 8 | 3 | 12 (Corrode) | - | Yes | |
Blood rain causes corrosion damage. Models hit suffer the Corrosion continuous effect. | |||||||
Execration of Blackest Night
|
2 | SELF | Command | - | Round | No | |
While in the spellcaster's command range, enemy models suffer –2 to their attack rolls. Execration of Blackest Night lasts for one round. | |||||||
Hunter's Mark
|
2 | 10 | - | - | Turn | Yes | |
Friendly models can charge or make a slam power attack against target enemy model hit by Hunter's Mark without being forced or spending focus. A friendly model charging an enemy model hit by Hunter's Mark gain +2" of movement. Hunter's Mark lasts for one turn. | |||||||
Onslaught
|
2 | SELF | Control | - | Upkeep | No | |
The spellcaster and friendly Faction models beginning their activations in its control range gain Relentless Charge for one turn.
| |||||||
Rebuke
|
2 | 10 | - | - | Upkeep | Yes | |
Target model/unit cannot give orders, receive orders, or make power attacks or special attacks. |
Bone Shakers
Barnabas starts the game with 3 Bone Shakers in his unit.
Bone Shakers | ||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Abilities
-
Amphibious
-
Undead
- Dark Shroud - While in this model's melee range, enemy models suffer -2 ARM.
Weapons
- Bone Strike - 1" reach, P+S 10 melee weapon
Theme Forces
Recent Changes
2021.10 Mega Update
- +2 WBP
- Sac Pawn gains a clause to say "once per attack" so you can't chain multiple Sac Parns together to move an attack halfway across the table.
Thoughts on Barnabas2
Barnabas, Lord of Blood in a nutshell
Barnabas is a tough front line warlock who protects his troops with Execration, buffs damage via his Bone Shakers, increases threat ranges via Hunter's Mark, and hands out Pathfinder via Onslaught. Oh, and hits brutally hard - P+S20 if fully loaded and counting the Dark Shroud bonus.
![]() |
Line of Sight article : Barnabas, Lord of Blood Tactica with Bret (2018.08) |
Feat thoughts
Feat gives him an ultra-turn as long as he has enough cannon fodder to waste to power himself up. That's "Kill a Gargantuan and still have full corpses and enough spare Fury to camp" level turn.
Spell thoughts
- Onslaught is a cast once and upkeep throughout the game. It's basically Pathfinder for melee troops and well worth the Fury cost.
- Execration of Blackest Night is probably his signature spell. If Barnabas plays forward he effectively gives his whole army a 2 point DEF buff (that isn't affected by Blessed). The only good reasons to not cast this spell are that it's your first turn or you are trying to end the game on your turn (e.g. via assassination).
- Hunter's Mark is a useful threat extender and will probably be the main spell cast by the Soul Slave.
- Rebuke is a nice debuff that allows you to prevent infantry from charging.
- Blood Rain is your zap. It isn't especially good.
Drawbacks & Downsides
- Large based target will draw incoming fire.
- Any shooters with a >10" range are going to target Barnabas without worrying about Execration. And he only has DEF 13. Your only protection is sacrificial pawn onto the Bone Shakers.
Tricks & Tips
- Barnabas has a 12" threat range (10" if he doesn't use Hunter's Mark) and hits at MAT 8 P+S 15-20. Any caster he gets the drop on is likely to die.
- Remember, Barnabas has to be the closest eligible model to collect the corpse. Don't go sending your Bone Shakers off to attack models near an enemy Necrosurgeon or somesuch.
List Building Advice
Strategy
Barnabas is an attrition caster who also wins scenarios by bullying the enemy out of the zones.
Barnabas requires cheap infantry for his feat and corpse tokens for his bone pile.
Execration of the Blackest Night stacks with just about any defensive buff you care to name. This means that Barnabas loves anyone who hands out more DEF buffs or otherwise make his models harder to hit.
And otherwise Barnabas likes hard hitting melee models with a decent DEF to synergise with Dark Shroud.
Theme thoughts
He'll spend most of his time in this theme.
- Gatorman Bokor & Bog Trog Swamp Shamblers are as cheap a unit of infantry as you get and are self-replenishing. It's hard to think of a better unit for your feat - but these guys can clash with the Cauldron.
- A cheap option for his feat are five Void Leeches.
- Gatorman Posse are already DEF 12 with easy access to concealment and P+S 13, able to take advantage of Dark Shroud
- See also the suggestions in the "either theme" heading, below.
He can get some huge returns in this theme. Specifically, access to Farrow Valkyries for additional shooting protection.
- Another cheap options per model are the Farrow Bone Grinders.
- Dahlia Hallyr & Skarath are already high DEF before Execration.
Either theme
- The Boil Master & Spirit Cauldron is almost necessary to feed corpses to Barnabas. This should probably be your first pick every time you play him.
- Wrong Eye & Snapjaw provides Star Crossed making Barnabas' army that much harder to hit within 8" of Wrong Eye.
- Totem Hunter is DEF 14 - and you can get one free in the Blindwater Congregation.
- Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew provides clouds - which means concealment for more DEF on top of Execration. They're also cheap models for his feat.
- Bog Trog Mist Speaker - Summon Vortex is more clouds, and Guidance is excellent. As for that matter is raising the Shamblers to MAT 6.
Battlegroup
- The Boneswarm has an animus that both provides Concealment and a DEF debuff, leading to an effective DEF of 17 for Barnabas or the Boneswarm.
- The Dracodile provides shallow water - and thus concealment and hence makes other models harder to hit.
- Bull Snapper has an ARM buff animus that will allow Barnabas to reach ARM 20. It also can give Barnabas three fury single handedly if you sacrifice it to his feat.
- Blackhide Wrastler is of course excellent. And between Rage and Dark Shroud you can turn light warbeasts into effective beasts for breaking over heavies.
Other
Trivia
Released in the Blindwater expansion (2017.09)
What warbeasts can he take?
With the way Minion battlegroups work, this warlock can't simply take any Minion warbeast, and instead is limited to the following choices:
Gatorman Warbeasts Edit) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lights | Boneswarm - Bull Snapper - [Underchief Mire only: Swamp Troll] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Heavies | Blackhide Wrastler - Blind Walker - Ironback Spitter - Swamp Horror | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gargantuans | Dracodile |
Video Battle Reports
- 2019.11 Arcane Assist, vs Wanderer1
- 2019.08 Desperate Pace, vs Kallus2
- 2019.07 Tiny Men, vs Abyslonia2
- 2019.01 Arcane Assist, vs High Reclaimer1
- 2018.07 Arcane Assist, vs Macbain1
- 2018.05 Not Snakes Gaming, vs Skarre3
- See also Category: Video Battle Reports for more casters with videos.
Other Minion models
Rules Clarifications
![]() |
Rules Clarification : Feat : Death Ritual
|
Rules Clarification : Undead - None yet. (Edit)
![]() |
Rules Clarification : Dark Shroud (Edit)
|
![]() |
Rules Clarification: : Magical Damage (Edit) |
* The "Damage Type: Magical" is not inherited by "secondary" damage from a weapon. That is, stuff like arcs (Electro Leap) or hazards (Scather). (Infernal Ruling)
|
![]() |
Rules Clarification : Grievous Wounds (Edit)
|
![]() |
Rules Clarification: : Warcaster Unit or Warlock Unit (Edit) |
This summary is specific to Warcaster/Warlock units. You may also want to check the Warcaster and Warlock pages respectively, for the "regular" rules clarifications.
|
Rules Clarification : Amphibious - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Tough - None yet. (Edit)
![]() |
Rules Clarification : Bone Picker and/or Bone Pile (Edit)
|
Rules Clarification : Gatorman Warlock and/or Bog Trog Warlock - None yet. (Edit)
![]() |
Rules Clarification : Meat-Fueled (Edit)
|
![]() |
Rules Clarification: : Sacrificial Pawn and/or Sucker! and/or Grim Salvation (Edit) |
Differences
From here down, the terms Sacrificial Pawn, Grim Salvation, and Sucker! are interchangeable
|
![]() |
Rules Clarification : Steady (Edit)
|
![]() |
Rules Clarification : Tide of Skulls (Edit)
|
![]() |
Rules Clarification : Blood Rain (Edit)
|
Rules Clarification : Execration of Blackest Night - None yet. (Edit)
Rules Clarification : Hunter's Mark - None yet. (Edit)
![]() |
Rules Clarification : Onslaught (Edit)
|
- Minion
- Model
- Circle Orboros Minion
- Legion of Everblight Minion
- Skorne Minion
- Trollblood Minion
- Warlock Unit
- Remove From Play Feat
- Remove Damage Feat
- Amphibious
- Tough
- Bone Pile
- Corpse Taker
- Gatorman
- Gatorman Warlock
- Meat-Fueled
- Sacrificial Pawn
- Steady
- Tide of Skulls
- Magical Damage
- Grievous Wounds
- Blood Rain
- Execration of Blackest Night
- Hunter's Mark
- Onslaught
- Rebuke
- The Blindwater Congregation
- Will Work for Food
- Video Battle Reports