AoS - 3rd Abhorash - Any chance of a return?

[Disciple of Nagash]

Abhorash was always one of my favourite old world vampires, with his battle of honour vs feeding, consuming the blood of a dragon, and his legend of being one of the best sword masters ever. I was gutted that he didn't play a bigger part in the End Times, and would love for him to return in the Age of Sigmar, especially as they don't seem to mind having legendary characters with associated rules.

What do you reckon, any chances of him returning? Would you want him to return? If you did, what kind of stats/rules do you think he should have?

 

[Hissk Deadtail]

I think iirc he went out in the End Times fighting back to back with Gilles Le Breton. One of the greatest fights never shown.

Given Mannfred, Neferata, and Arkhan being in AoS, I think it's far from impossible for other characters to have been brought back. Abhorash would be definately at Mortach level. Maybe with a remake of the Blood Dragon bloodline abilities to work just for him.

Personally though, I kinda liked Abhorash as a background character, he was more the pinnacle atop the zigguart, to stat him would cap just what he was capable of. Give me more Walach (ignore End Times for him) or the Red Duke for a main threat and leave the true terror as an unassailable mystery.

 

[Raven Torrid]

Yeah, I think they fought off thousands of demons before everything exploded. Shame it was pretty much off-screen. I'm not a fan of the End Times over-the-top-ness, but I do approve of this epic heroism (I also really like Bretonnia and The Green Knight so it was cool that they fought together - bring them back GW!).

He is my favourite vampire and the bloodline as well so I would like if he finally got a miniature. I'd like it to be imposing but again, not over the top (Be'lakor, mounted Wight King, Abaddon...all good examples of what I'm thinking....opposed to Archaon who is kinda over the top). As for rules I'd like something along the lines of old Blender lord builds (with Red Fury and the whole package), but on steroids. I have no idea how it should be pulled off in AoS though, haven't yet gotten into it to get a feel how things work there.

I do agree with Hissk Deadtail to an extent tho. As much as I'd like him to get a model, sometimes it's hard to give such characters justice by putting them into boundaries. Also, in every narrative, when something/someone is kept as a mystery, an epic story, etc...once it is finally given "form" it can often be underwhelming due to the expectations accumulated over the time. So if they do make him, he better be damn good!

 

[Disciple of Nagash]

One of the greatest fights never shown.

I think this was one of my biggest gripes. Abhorash and the Green Knight, supposedly two of the greatest warriors ever to have existed in the Old World, and they didn't get a chapter to themselves! It should have been appropriately epic if that was the last we would see of him.

or the Red Duke for a main threat

I think the Red Duke would be an interesting one for me, especially as Walach went all rogue and turned to Chaos in the End Times, so I think it unlikely Nagash would bring him back. I felt there was more to the Red Duke...although that might be because I RP'd him in TVC and put my own honourable twist on him...but I think he would make a good lord coming back.

once it is finally given "form" it can often be underwhelming due to the expectations accumulated over the time

This is also probably true! Given my fanboy worship of Abhorash I'd probably never accept what rules they give him as good enough!

 

[El Syf]

It's incredibly difficult, I've been on the Abhorash bandwagon for many years but in all honesty I'm now at the stage where I'd prefer him to remain a lore character only.
As others have said the expectation versus the reality would be disappointing. Josh Reynolds did a lot of good in my opinion, in fleshing Abhorash out more and making him almost relatable in some ways.

I love the character and if they ever did release a model I'd be all over it. I just think he serves a better purpose lore only.
He is also referenced in the new battletome in the Blood Knights fluff, although not by name.

 

[Kassill]

Would be cool for sure! But I feel short of making him a Mortarch (rightly so), the role of "armored beat stick" is filled by Prince Vhordrai. Personally I'm fine leaving certain elements of the old world in the old world. I still feel for Bretonnia and Tomb King players though, that's rough, even all these years later. I did see a neat idea on an episode of Rerolling Ones where a guy had rebased and "updated" his Bretonnians to be Flesh Eater Courts, basically playing the army from their point of view

 

[Sception]

Possible? Sure. Likely? Not at all. He's always been a character reserved for novels rather than the game table. His narrative archetype isn't really one that fits well in the AoS setting, and his mechanical archetype is one already covered well enough by Vhordrai. He's honestly a character who belongs in the old world, and if he's to get an actual model and rules I'd rather see them for the still in development Old World game.

Then again, I've never liked Abhorash. Imo he's only slightly less obnoxious than Vashanesh, and I wouldn't shed any tears if Abhy suffered the same fate of being scrubbed from the timeline altogether. So yeah, I'm sorely biased against the character, so my opinion may be clouded here.

 

[Belladamma Voltaire]

I'd be more inclined to think that Nagash will realise that he needs Vashanesh back fairly soon to act as a counter balance to Queen Nef and Mannfred.

 

[Sception]

It would be an odd change of direction from recent lore, which has Nagash moving away from unreliable soulblight lieutenants altogether. I certainly doubt he'd be interested in bringing back an especially powerful vampire whose code of honor would cause him to oppose Nagash wherever possible. That same honor code sort of binds him in fealty to Neferata, which means he'd be an especially poor check on her power.

 

[Unas the slayer]

He's honestly a character who belongs in the old world, and if he's to get an actual model and rules I'd rather see them for the still in development Old World game.

That would be a far more likely chance.