The Khazalite Holds are Age of Sigmar's newest duardin (dwarf) army: stubborn, proud warriors rebuilding their mountain strongholds and marching out to reclaim what was lost. With the new battletome, the fire-worshipping Fyreslayers march beside them.
Army guide, last updated November 4, 2026. Lore summarised in our own words from Black Library novels, codexes and community wikis. For game rules, use the official battletome or the official app.
The Khazalite Holds in 30 seconds
| Who | Duardin of the great mountain strongholds (karaks) |
| Gods | Grungni the Maker, Valaya the protector, Gazul of the dead |
| Leader | High Kyng Valankrom |
| Famous for | Grudges, shield walls, runes, war machines |
| Also includes | The Fyreslayers, worshippers of the fire god Grimnir |
| Start with | Spearhead: Magmic Fyrd |
First, the Mortal Realms
Age of Sigmar takes place in the Mortal Realms, eight magical worlds born from the ruins of the old Warhammer world: the realms of Fire (Aqshy), Metal (Chamon), Life (Ghyran), Death (Shyish), Beasts (Ghur), Heavens (Azyr), Light (Hysh) and Shadow (Ulgu). Each has its own wild landscapes and magic, and Chaos, Death and Destruction fight Order for control of them all.
The duardin of the realms
The duardin are the dwarf peoples of the Mortal Realms: short, tough, long-lived and famously stubborn. In the Age of Myth, they built great strongholds called karaks inside mountains across the realms and traded with Sigmar's humans and the aelves. When Chaos came, many karaks fell, and their people scattered.
Grungni, Valaya and Gazul
The Khazalite Holds honour the old duardin gods. Grungni, the Maker, is a god of smithing who helped Sigmar forge the Stormcast's armour. Valaya is a protector goddess of hearth and home, and Gazul watches over the souls of dead duardin. With Grungni returning to his people, the duardin have found new hope and a reason to unite.
Grudges and fallen karaks
Duardin never forget a wrong. Every insult, betrayal and lost stronghold is recorded as a grudge, and settling grudges drives much of their history. The Khazalite Holds march to reclaim fallen karaks, punish old enemies and restore their ancestral glory, one oath at a time.
High Kyng Valankrom
Leading the Holds is High Kyng Valankrom, crowned by Grungni himself. He fights from a mighty War Throne, carried into battle by his warriors and wielding the great hammer Bharadreng. Beneath him, lords called Thrynns lead the war throngs, and Runewrights work magic with runes and forgehammers.
The Fyreslayers join the Holds
The Fyreslayers are duardin who worship Grimnir, a fire god who died fighting a great monster. They believe fragments of his spirit are trapped in a rare golden metal, ur-gold, which they hammer into runes and drive into their own skin for strength. Fyreslayers fight as mercenaries, paid in gold, riding giant fire-breathing lizards called Magmadroths.
Under the new battletome, the Fyreslayers fight as part of the Khazalite Holds. Some older Fyreslayer units have moved to Legends; see our battletome guide for the details.
Famous figures
- High Kyng Valankrom: crowned by Grungni, lord of the Holds.
- Hjulda Drakkblud: the last of her clan, sworn to reclaim fallen karaks.
- Ormyr and Ashtongue: a wandering Fyreslayer and the Kyndledroth he rescued.
Collecting the Khazalite Holds: a quick guide
Tough and steady: shield walls, gunlines, Gholems and an Oathkeeper Cannon, plus fast Fyreslayer units. Start with: Spearhead: Magmic Fyrd (pre-orders Saturday, November 7), then the battletome.
Painting tip
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Silver armour with deep green and gold for the Holds; bright orange hair and gold for Fyreslayers. A paints and tools set is a good start.
Latest news
New to the hobby? Start with our Warhammer beginner's hub, and see the other army guides.
Sources
- Warhammer Community warhammer-community.com
- Games Workshop warhammer.com
- Warhammer Community: Fyreslayers in Battletome: Khazalite Holds warhammer-community.com