Royal Menagerie: the monster and beast formation (AoS 4th Ed)
Turns non-Hero monsters and beasts into repeat-rampaging, hard-charging threats that can strike first.
SprueSentry strategy commentary for Age of Sigmar 4th edition, not official rules. Games Workshop updates points and rules regularly — always confirm against the current official rules and your latest dataslate before a game.
Royal Menagerie is the formation for monster-forward Flesh-eater lists. It lets your non-Hero monsters and beasts get more out of rampages and reward big charges. As always, confirm the exact conditions and any points implications in your current battletome and battle profiles.
What the formation does
It lets non-Hero monsters and beasts perform a rampage even if another model has already used that same rampage, and grants a strikes-first effect when they make a big charge (reported as a 9+ charge). Combined with the book's charge support, it makes your monsters reliable alpha-strike threats.
Who it suits
Players who want to build around Royal Terrorgheists, Royal Zombie Dragons and other beasts, using monsters as the primary hammer rather than infantry.
Key units
- Royal Terrorgheist (scream plus melee)
- Royal Zombie Dragon
- Other non-Hero monsters and beasts in the roster
- Abhorrant Heroes and Courtiers to buff, heal and enable charges
When to pick it
Pick it when your list is monster-heavy and you want to threaten decisive charges early, or into opponents you can break by landing multiple hard-hitting monster charges before they can react.
Common questions
Do the bonuses apply to my Hero monsters like Ushoran?
The reported effect targets non-Hero monsters and beasts. Hero monsters generally have their own strong abilities instead. Check the exact wording, as targeting conditions are the sort of detail that changes with errata.
How reliable is the strikes-first on charge?
It is tied to making a big charge (reported as 9+), so it is not automatic. Use the army's charge buffs and Delusions to raise your odds, and don't rely on it every turn.
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Written by SprueSentry with SprueSentry editorial (hand-authored, research-grounded), grounded in the cited sources — original commentary, not Games Workshop rules text.