Nighthaunt
A fell wind is rising. From the darkest pits of Shyish, the Realm of Death, comes a storm of ethereal figures. An eerie mist spreads before them, blotting out the sun. They muster upon corpse-strewn battlefields or ancient burial grounds, a ghostly army of phantoms. They are the supernatural, the dead, the damned – the Nighthaunts.
This page contains all of the rules you need to field your Nighthaunt miniatures on the battlefields of the Mortal Realms, from a host of exciting faction rules to a range of warscrolls. The rules are split into the following sections:Books
| Book | Kind | Edition | Last update | |
 Nighthaunt | ||||
| Nighthaunt | Faction Pack | 4 | September 2024 | |
 Battle Profiles & Rules updates | ||||
| Battle Profiles & Rules updates | Rulebook | 4 | September 2024 | |
 Warhammer Underworlds Legends | ||||
| Warhammer Underworlds Legends | Warscroll | 4 | August 2024 | |
Faction Rules
Battle Traits
Nighthaunt armies can use the following abilities:
 Passive |
ETHEREAL: Nighthaunt spirits can only be harmed by blows delivered with great conviction.
Effect: Ignore all modifiers to save rolls (positive and negative) for friendly NIGHTHAUNT units, excluding Nagash.
| Reaction: Opponent declared an Attack ability | 1 |
DISCORPORATE: If given the order, the Nighthaunt can flicker between the realms of the living and dead.
Effect: That unit has WARD (5+) for the rest of the phase.
| Once Per Turn (Army), Your Charge Phase |
SHRIEK: The keening wails of the Nighthaunt lodge a stake of fear within all those who hear them.
Declare: Pick a friendly NIGHTHAUNT unit that has not used an AURA OF DREAD ability this turn and that charged this turn to use this ability, then pick an enemy unit within 1" of it to be the target. The number of models in the friendly NIGHTHAUNT unit must be greater than the number of models in the target unit.
Effect: Subtract 1 from hit rolls for the target’s attacks for the rest of the turn.
Effect: Subtract 1 from hit rolls for the target’s attacks for the rest of the turn.
| KEYWORDS | AURA OF DREAD |
 Once Per Turn (Army), Your Charge Phase |
WAVE OF TERROR: Many foes freeze in fear when faced with a swarming Nighthaunt charge.
Effect: Friendly NIGHTHAUNT units that are in combat can use CHARGE abilities this phase. However, if a unit that is in combat uses a CHARGE ability and the charge roll is 3 or less, that unit does not count as having charged that turn.
 Once Per Turn (Army), Your Charge Phase |
STUN: The sight of onrushing Nighthaunt can stun enemies that do not thoroughly steel their hearts.
Declare: Pick a friendly NIGHTHAUNT WAR MACHINE or CAVALRY unit that has not used an AURA OF DREAD ability this turn and that charged this turn to use this ability, then pick an enemy unit within 1" of it to be the target.
Effect: Subtract 1 from save rolls for the target for the rest of the turn.
Effect: Subtract 1 from save rolls for the target for the rest of the turn.
| KEYWORDS | AURA OF DREAD |
| Once Per Turn (Army), Your Charge Phase |
PETRIFY: Those who lay eyes on a spectral champion may find they are rooted in place with terror, allowing the Nighthaunt to strike them with ease.
Declare: Pick a friendly NIGHTHAUNT HERO that has not used an AURA OF DREAD ability this turn and that charged this turn to use this ability, then pick an enemy unit within 1" of it to be the target.
Effect: The target has STRIKE-LAST for the rest of the turn.
Effect: The target has STRIKE-LAST for the rest of the turn.
| KEYWORDS | AURA OF DREAD |
Battle Formations
You can pick 1 of the following battle formations for a Nighthaunt army. Each battle formation grants a different ability you can use in the battle.
Vanishing Phantasms
| Once Per Turn (Army), Your Movement Phase |
ETHEREAL TRANSLOCATION: The Nighthaunt appear and disappear from sight to torment their prey.
Declare: Pick a friendly NIGHTHAUNT unit that is not in combat to use this ability.
Effect: Remove that unit from the battlefield and set it up again on the battlefield more than 9" from all enemy units.
Effect: Remove that unit from the battlefield and set it up again on the battlefield more than 9" from all enemy units.
| KEYWORDS | CORE |
Death Stalkers
| Once Per Turn (Army), Your Movement Phase |
THERE IS NO ESCAPE: Death Stalkers are spectral killers that relentlessly hunt down the enemy. They are constantly on the move, phasing in and out of reality as they close in on new targets.
Declare: Pick a friendly NIGHTHAUNT unit to be the target.
Effect: For the rest of the turn, the target unit can still use CHARGE abilities even if it used a RUN or RETREAT ability in the same turn. In addition, for the rest of the turn, no mortal damage is inflicted on that unit by RETREAT abilities.
Effect: For the rest of the turn, the target unit can still use CHARGE abilities even if it used a RUN or RETREAT ability in the same turn. In addition, for the rest of the turn, no mortal damage is inflicted on that unit by RETREAT abilities.
Hunters of The Accursed
| Once Per Turn (Army), End of Any Turn |
VENGEFUL MALISON: Those who cross the machinations of the Nighthaunt are marked for death with an unyielding curse.
Declare: Pick up to 3 enemy Heroes each within 12" of a different friendly NIGHTHAUNT HERO to be the targets.
Effect: Roll a D3 for each target. On a 2+, inflict an amount of mortal damage on the target equal to the roll.
Effect: Roll a D3 for each target. On a 2+, inflict an amount of mortal damage on the target equal to the roll.
Procession of Death
| Passive |
CAVALCADE OF DEATH: The spectral hosts march to war flanking creaking, shimmering black coaches thrumming with necrotic energy.
Effect: Friendly NIGHTHAUNT INFANTRY units have WARD (5+) while they are wholly within 6" of a friendly Black Coach.
Heroic Traits
Shades of Death
HERO only Once Per Battle, Your Movement Phase | 1 |
RULER OF THE SPECTRAL HOSTS: The deathly power of this spirit is like a siren call, an unseen signal that beckons to others from beyond the grave.
Declare: Pick a friendly NIGHTHAUNT unit that started the battle with 3 or more models and that has been destroyed to be the target.
Effect: Set up a replacement unit with half the number of models from the target unit (rounding up) wholly within 12" of this unit and more than 9" from all enemy units.
Effect: Set up a replacement unit with half the number of models from the target unit (rounding up) wholly within 12" of this unit and more than 9" from all enemy units.
| Passive |
CLOAKED IN SHADOW: Eerily intangible, this spirit’s ethereal form fades in and out of existence like some wispy cloud of supernatural mist.
Effect: If the unmodified hit roll for an attack that targets this unit is 1-3, the attack fails and the attack sequence ends.
 Passive |
TERRIFYING ENTITY: Some powerful spirits take a gruesome appearance or an overwhelming aura of horror to entire new heights.
Effect: This unit can use any of the AURA OF DREAD abilities, even if it doesn’t have the required keyword(s) for that ability.
Artefacts of Power
Relics of the Underworlds
HERO only| Once Per Battle, Any Combat Phase |
LIGHTSHARD OF THE HARVEST MOON: This lightshard is filled with a baleful gloom that, upon release, casts the battlefield in an eerie glow, readying the enemy for the reaping.
Effect: If this unit is in combat, add 1 to the Attacks characteristic of melee weapons used by friendly NIGHTHAUNT units wholly within 12" of this unit for the rest of the turn.
| Reaction: Opponent declared a FIGHT ability for a unit in combat with this unit |
COVETOUS FAMILIAR: This spiteful poltergeist swirls around its master’s essence, lashing out at any other soul that draws too close.
Effect: Roll a D3. On a 2+, inflict an amount of mortal damage on that enemy unit equal to the roll.
| End of Any Turn |
SOULFIRE RING: Gouts of lashing green flames leap forth from this ring as it consumes the souls of those slain by the wearer.
Effect: If any enemy models were slain by this unit’s combat attacks this turn, Heal (D6) this unit.
Spell Lore
Lore of the Underworlds
| Your Hero Phase | 6 |
SHADEMIST: A supernatural mist envelops the caster’s comrades, causing them to glimmer as they fade in and out of reality.
Declare: Pick a friendly NIGHTHAUNT WIZARD to cast this spell, pick a visible friendly NIGHTHAUNT unit that has 3 or more models and is wholly within 12" of them to be the target, then make a casting roll of 2D6.
Effect: Subtract 1 from wound rolls for attacks that target that unit until the start of your next turn.
Effect: Subtract 1 from wound rolls for attacks that target that unit until the start of your next turn.
| KEYWORDS | SPELL, UNLIMITED |
| Your Hero Phase | 7 |
SPIRIT DRAIN: With a series of fell words of power, the caster can whittle away a mortal’s life force, causing their spirit to seep out of their physical form.
Declare: Pick a friendly NIGHTHAUNT WIZARD to cast this spell, pick a visible enemy unit within 18" of them to be the target, then make a casting roll of 2D6.
Effect: Roll a number of dice equal to the number of models in the target unit. For each 5+, inflict 1 mortal damage on the target.
Effect: Roll a number of dice equal to the number of models in the target unit. For each 5+, inflict 1 mortal damage on the target.
| KEYWORDS | SPELL |
| Your Hero Phase | 6 |
SPECTRAL LURE: Embracing the chill of death, the wizard summons forth the spirits of the dead.
Declare: Pick a friendly NIGHTHAUNT WIZARD to cast this spell, pick a friendly Nighthaunt unit wholly within 12" of them to be the target, then make a casting roll of 2D6.
Effect: Return a number of slain models to the target unit with a combined Health characteristic of up to D6.
Effect: Return a number of slain models to the target unit with a combined Health characteristic of up to D6.
| KEYWORDS | SPELL |
Manifestation Lore
Cthonic Sorceries
| Your Hero Phase | 6 |
SUMMON MORTALIS TERMINEXUS: A spectral hourglass filled with shifting grave-sand takes shape, promising temporal grace or doom to mortal and immortal alike.
Declare: If there is not a friendly Mortalis Terminexus on the battlefield, pick a friendly NIGHTHAUNT WIZARD to cast this spell, then make a casting roll of 2D6.
Effect: Set up a Mortalis Terminexus wholly within 12" of the caster and visible to them.
Effect: Set up a Mortalis Terminexus wholly within 12" of the caster and visible to them.
| KEYWORDS | SUMMON, SPELL |
| Your Hero Phase | 6 |
SUMMON VAULT OF SOULS: This summoned chest siphons souls, filling itself to overflowing with the rich spirits of mortalkind.
Declare: If there is not a friendly Vault of Souls on the battlefield, pick a friendly NIGHTHAUNT WIZARD to cast this spell, then make a casting roll of 2D6.
Effect: Set up a Vault of Souls wholly within 12" of the caster and visible to them.
Effect: Set up a Vault of Souls wholly within 12" of the caster and visible to them.
| KEYWORDS | SUMMON, SPELL |
| Your Hero Phase | 6 |
SUMMON SHYISH REAPER: The wizard sweeps down their arm as they utter this spell’s final incantation, and a fearsome scythe formed of purest amethyst magic tears through their foes with unstoppable force.
Declare: If there is not a friendly Shyish Reaper on the battlefield, pick a friendly NIGHTHAUNT WIZARD to cast this spell, then make a casting roll of 2D6.
Effect: Set up a Shyish Reaper wholly within 9" of the caster, visible to them and more than 9" from all enemy units.
Effect: Set up a Shyish Reaper wholly within 9" of the caster, visible to them and more than 9" from all enemy units.
| KEYWORDS | SUMMON, SPELL |
Save Roll
The commander of the target unit rolls a dice, subtracting the attacking weapon’s Rend characteristic from the roll. Unmodified save rolls of 1 always fail. If the roll equals or exceeds the Save characteristic of the target unit, the attack fails and the attack sequence ends. If not, it is a successful attack: move on to the next step.18.1 Ward Saves
Units with the WARD keyword have the ‘Ward Save’ passive ability. The number after the WARD keyword indicates the ward value for the ward save. If a unit had WARD (5+), for example, its ward value would be 5. If a unit has more than one ward save, only the ward save with the lowest value applies to it; the other has no effect.| Passive |
WARD SAVE: Whether through their uncanny reflexes, unnatural toughness or a source of mystical protection, these warriors can avoid otherwise lethal attacks.
Effect: In step 1 of the damage sequence (see 18.0), make a ward roll of D6 for each damage point in this unit’s damage pool. If the roll equals or exceeds this unit’s ward value, remove that damage point from the damage pool.
Hit Roll
Roll a dice. If the roll equals or exceeds the attacking weapon’s Hit characteristic, the attack scores a successful hit: move on to the next step. If not, the attack fails and the attack sequence ends. Unmodified hit rolls of 1 always fail. If an unmodified hit roll for an attack made with a weapon is a 6, that attack is a critical hit.| Critical hits have no effect on their own but often trigger additional effects (see 20.0 Weapon Abilities). | ||
The NIGHTHAUNT and WAR MACHINE keywords are used in the following Nighthaunt warscrolls:
The CAVALRY keyword is used in the following Nighthaunt warscrolls:
The NIGHTHAUNT and HERO keywords are used in the following Nighthaunt warscrolls:
15.3 Pile-in Moves
Some abilities, such as FIGHT abilities, allow a unit to make a short move called a pile-in move to get into a better position for combat. To do so:If your unit is in combat: Pick an enemy unit your unit is in combat with to be the target of the pile-in move. Each model in your unit can move up to 3". That move can pass through the combat ranges of any enemy units, but each model must end that move no further from the target unit. At the end of the move, your unit must still be in combat with all units that it was in combat with at the start of the move.
If your unit is not in combat: Each model in your unit can move 3" in any direction. That move can pass through and end within the combat ranges of any enemy units.
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19.0 Strike-first and Strike-last
If there are any STRIKE-FIRST units in combat at the start of the phase, other units cannot be picked to use a FIGHT ability until those units have been picked to use a FIGHT ability. After all those STRIKE-FIRST units have fought, the active player picks the next unit to fight.If there are any STRIKE-LAST units in combat, they cannot be picked to use a FIGHT ability if there are any units in combat that do not have STRIKE-LAST and have not yet used a FIGHT ability.
If a unit has STRIKE-FIRST and STRIKE-LAST, treat it as if it had neither.
| There may be situations when a unit that has STRIKE-FIRST is not in combat at the start of the phase, but because of moves such as pile-in moves, it is ‘pulled into combat’ later in the phase. In such cases, STRIKE-FIRST has no effect on that unit because it was not in combat at the start of the phase. Abilities that allow a unit to use a FIGHT ability immediately after another unit do not override the STRIKE-FIRST or STRIKE-LAST constraints, so you could not pick a unit with STRIKE-LAST to fight immediately after a unit with STRIKE-FIRST. | ||
Universal Core Abilities - Charge Phase
| Your Charge Phase |
CHARGE: With a mighty battle cry, the warriors charge into combat with the enemy.
Declare: Pick a friendly unit that is not in combat and has not used a RUN or RETREAT ability this turn to use this ability. Then, make a charge roll of 2D6.
Effect: That unit can move a distance up to the value of the charge roll. That unit can move through the combat ranges of any enemy units and must end that move within 1/2" of a visible enemy unit. If it does so, the unit using this ability has charged.
Effect: That unit can move a distance up to the value of the charge roll. That unit can move through the combat ranges of any enemy units and must end that move within 1/2" of a visible enemy unit. If it does so, the unit using this ability has charged.
| KEYWORDS | CORE, MOVE, CHARGE |
| Your Movement Phase |
RUN: The unit rushes into position.
Declare: Pick a friendly unit that is not in combat to use this ability.
Effect: Make a run roll of D6. That unit can move a distance up to its Move characteristic added to the run roll. That unit cannot move into combat during any part of that move.
Effect: Make a run roll of D6. That unit can move a distance up to its Move characteristic added to the run roll. That unit cannot move into combat during any part of that move.
| KEYWORDS | CORE, MOVE, RUN |
17.2 Mortal Damage
Some abilities inflict mortal damage. If an ability inflicts mortal damage on a unit, add that number of damage points to the unit’s damage pool for that ability (see 18.2 Allocating Damage).
7.0 Combat Range
Each model has a combat range that extends 3" horizontally from its base and any distance vertically from that circle to form a cylinder. The combat range of a unit extends 3" horizontally and any distance vertically from every model in that unit. Units from opposing armies that are within each other’s combat range and that are visible to each other are in combat with each other. When a unit that is not in combat enters the combat range of a visible enemy unit, it moves into combat.
| ||
| Your Movement Phase |
RETREAT: The fighters disengage from combat, though at the cost of lowering their defences.
Declare: Pick a friendly unit that is in combat to use this ability.
Effect: Inflict D3 mortal damage on that unit. That unit can move a distance up to its Move characteristic. That unit can move through the combat ranges of any enemy units but cannot end that move within an enemy unit’s combat range.
Effect: Inflict D3 mortal damage on that unit. That unit can move a distance up to its Move characteristic. That unit can move through the combat ranges of any enemy units but cannot end that move within an enemy unit’s combat range.
| KEYWORDS | CORE, MOVE, RETREAT |
The NIGHTHAUNT and INFANTRY keywords are used in the following Nighthaunt warscrolls:
The HERO keyword is used in the following Nighthaunt warscrolls:
Combat attacks
Combat attacks are made with melee weapons. The target unit(s) must be within the combat range of the attacking model and visible to it. The model must attack with all of the melee weapons it is armed with.21.0 Healing
Some abilities allow you to heal a unit. To heal a unit, remove a number of damage points from the unit equal to the number in brackets after ‘Heal’, e.g. Heal (2).
1.0 Wizards and Priests
WIZARDS are special units that can cast spells, and PRIESTS are special units that can chant prayers. Spells and prayers are powerful abilities that can have a dramatic impact on the battle.
The NIGHTHAUNT and WIZARD keywords are used in the following Nighthaunt warscrolls:
6.0 Visibility
A target model is visible to another model (which we’ll call the ‘observing model’) if you can draw a straight line through the air (whether horizontal, diagonal or vertical) from any point on the observing model to any point on the target model that does not intersect any objects except for other models in the observing model’s unit. A target unit is visible to an observing unit if at least 1 model in the target unit is visible to at least 1 model in the observing unit. A model is always considered to be visible to itself.
| ||
| In some cases, il might not be immediately clear whether a model is visible. If so, stoop down to get a look from behind the observing model. If any part of the other model is visible, even if it is just the tip of a spear, then that model is visible for rules purposes. | ||
2.0 Spells
The declare step of each spell will tell you to make a casting roll of 2D6. If the roll does not equal or exceed the spell’s casting value (at the top-right corner of the spell), the spell fails and its effect is not resolved.If the unmodified casting roll includes 2 or more rolls of 1, the spell is miscast: the spell fails, its effect is not resolved, D3 mortal damage is inflicted on the WIZARD that used it, and that WIZARD cannot use any more spells in that phase.
Enemy reactions can only be used if the casting roll equals or exceeds the spell’s casting value. So long as the spell is not unbound (see 4.0), then it is successfully cast: resolve its effect.
EXAMPLE SPELL
| Your Hero Phase | 6 |
MYSTIC SHIELD: The caster's allies are bathed in an unearthly glow that protects them from harm.
Declare: Pick a visible friendly unit wholly within 12" of this WIZARD to be the target. Then, make a casting roll of 2D6.
Effect: The target has WARD (6+) this turn.
Effect: The target has WARD (6+) this turn.
| KEYWORDS | SPELL |
Wound Roll
Roll a dice. If the roll equals or exceeds the attacking weapon’s Wound characteristic, the attack successfully wounds: move on to the next step. If not, the attack fails and the attack sequence ends. Unmodified wound rolls of 1 always fail.18.3 Slain Models
The commander of a unit must pick which model(s) in the unit are slain. However, after each slain model is removed, the unit must be in a single coherent group (see 15.1). If this is not possible, continue to remove models, one at a time, until the unit is in a single coherent group. You must remove the fewest models possible to make the unit a single coherent group.
Army List
Warscrolls collatedCavalry Hero
Infantry Hero
Monster Hero
War Machine Hero
Cavalry
Infantry
War Machine