Nighthaunt · battle formation

Death Stalkers: the hit-and-run formation (AoS 4th Ed)

Lets a chosen unit retreat and still charge and/or shoot, ignoring damage from retreating, for repeat strikes.

Age of Sigmar 4th editionRules checked July 13, 2026

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.

Death Stalkers is the Nighthaunt battle formation built for hit-and-run play, echoing the faction's classic retreat-and-charge trick. The summary below comes from current reviews; confirm exact wording and limits in the current Battletome and seasonal profiles before playing.

What the formation does

A chosen unit can use charge and/or shoot abilities even after it has retreated in the same turn, and it ignores the damage some retreat rules would inflict. That lets you disengage from a bad combat and immediately re-enter one on better terms, or peel off to a fresh target.

Who it suits

Players who like tempo and repositioning within the combat phase, luring enemies out with chaff before swapping in a real threat, and who want to keep units alive by escaping unfavourable fights.

Key units

  • Fast melee units that want to charge repeatedly (e.g. Bladegheist Revenants, Hexwraiths)
  • The Black Coach as a mobile hammer that dislikes being pinned
  • Cheap screens used as bait before the retreat-and-charge swing

When to pick it

Choose it when you expect messy, prolonged combats, when you want to bait and punish, or when your list leans on a few mobile hammers that must avoid getting stuck.

Common questions

How is this different from Quicksilver Gheists?

Quicksilver Gheists boosts movement-phase repositioning for any unit each turn; Death Stalkers specifically enables retreat-then-charge/shoot and ignores retreat damage. One is about reach, the other about disengaging and re-striking.

Does retreating still cost me anything?

The formation is reported to remove the damage normally taken from retreat abilities, but other rules may still apply. Verify the current Battletome wording, since retreat mechanics change with edition updates.

Rules sources

Written by SprueSentry with SprueSentry editorial (hand-authored, research-grounded), grounded in the cited sources — original commentary, not Games Workshop rules text.