Helsmiths of Hashut · battle formation

Castigation Battery: The Helsmith Gunline (AoS 4th Ed)

A war-machine formation that supercharges the ranged output of your artillery once the guns are running on full daemonic power.

Age of Sigmar 4th edition

BySprue Sentry

ReviewedJul 13, 2026

SourceThe Helsmiths of Hashut: Forged in Fire, Built for Victory (Warhammer Community)

Sprue Sentry 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 latest update before a game.

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Castigation Battery is the artillery-focused formation, built around keeping your war machines maxed to 3 Daemonic Power Points for extra shooting. Exact bonuses and any bonus munitions rules should be checked against your current battletome and Battlescroll.

What the formation does

Reported effect: +1 Attacks to the ranged weapons of maxed War Machines, with additional munitions-style rules improving their shooting. Combined with per-point warscroll bonuses (such as added Rend), a fed battery puts out a lot of firepower.

Who it suits

Players who want a classic Chaos Dwarf gunline: park durable artillery, screen it, and delete targets at range while your infantry hold the line.

Key units

Tormentor Bombard - long-range artillery, brutal into infantry
Deathshrieker Rocket Battery - ranged damage
Dominator Engine (Immolation Cannons) - durable centrepiece with shooting
Infernal Razers - to add short-range volume

When to pick it

Pick it when your list is artillery-heavy and you can reliably keep the guns at 3 DPP. Be mindful that a pure gunline can be out-maneuvered, so pair it with solid screens and objective holders.

Common questions

Does the bonus apply to melee weapons too?

As reported it targets ranged weapons on war machines. Check the current warscroll and formation text for exact weapon types and values.

Can Hobgrots benefit from this?

No. Hobgrots cannot hold Daemonic Power Points, so they never meet the 3-DPP threshold. Use them as screens for your battery instead.

Rules sources

The Helsmiths of Hashut: Forged in Fire, Built for Victory (Warhammer Community) · 2025-09-09
Goonhammer Reviews: Helsmiths of Hashut Fourth Edition Battletome · 2025-09
Wahapedia: Helsmiths of Hashut (AoS 4th) · 2025
Frontline Gaming: Helsmiths of Hashut Rules Deep Dive · 2025-09-12
Plastic Craic: Short Angry Men - First Impressions on Helsmiths of Hashut · 2025-09-24
Battletome: Helsmiths of Hashut (2025) - Lexicanum · 2025

Written by Sprue Sentry, grounded in the cited sources. Original commentary, not Games Workshop rules text.