Ancient Aura
Once per turn, any hero phasePick a Ruination Chamber unit to gain a 5+ ward save for the rest of the turn.
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This formation is printed in a paid battletome, so the effect here is summarised from a community rules mirror and is not confirmed against a free first-party download. Confirm the exact wording in your battletome.
Points, unit sizes and regiment options live in the free Battle Profiles download, last republished July 2026. A newer Battle Profiles always replaces an older one, so check the current version before a game.
Unit picks are SprueSentry commentary, not part of the formation rule.
Pick a Ruination Chamber unit to gain a 5+ ward save for the rest of the turn.
Ruination Chamber leader, and the unit with a Scourge of Aqshy variant warscroll.
See the box: price and offersRuination Chamber hero that benefits from the once-per-turn ward.
See the box: price and offersRuination Chamber character for the anvil core.
See the box: price and offersPriest support that stacks healing on top of the ward save.
See the box: price and offersYou pick exactly one battle formation for your army, so choosing this one means you do not take these.
How to play Sentinels of the Bleak Citadels — the Stormcast battle formation that turns the new 4th-edition Ruination Chamber into a Ward-saving anvil.
BySprue Sentry
ReviewedAug 28, 2026
SourceUsing the Scourge of Aqshy Rules (Games Workshop, free download)
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.
Sentinels of the Bleak Citadels is the durable anvil battle formation for Stormcast Eternals in Age of Sigmar 4th edition, built on the new Ruination Chamber — the grim, resilient models introduced with the edition.
SprueSentry strategy commentary, not official rules. Confirm exact wording against your battletome and current General's Handbook.
The formation ability is Ancient Aura. Once per turn in any hero phase, pick a friendly Ruination Chamber unit to gain a 5+ ward save for the rest of the turn. An extra save layered onto already-tough models makes a genuine anvil: a unit that holds the centre and refuses to die while your hammers do the work.
It is one unit per turn, not the whole chamber, so the skill is picking the model that is actually about to be shot or charged rather than switching it on out of habit.
Players who want to lean into the new Ruination Chamber aesthetic and a grind-it-out, hold-the-line style. It's the most defensive Stormcast formation — you win by being impossible to shift off objectives while attrition and recursion wear the opponent down.
Pick Sentinels of the Bleak Citadels when you have the Ruination Chamber models and want a defensive, objective-holding army that grinds. Layer the Ward with priest healing and Heavens-Sent for maximum resilience. Its weakness is offence — bring enough hammer support so "impossible to kill" also translates into "wins the game."
Once per turn a chosen Ruination Chamber unit gains Ward (5+) for the turn — a durability boost on the new 4th-edition grim chamber, turning it into a hard-to-shift anvil.
Yes — the buff only applies to Ruination Chamber units, the new models introduced with 4th edition. If you don't own them, Thunderhead Host (infantry) or Lightning Echelon (dragons) will fit your collection better.
Written by Sprue Sentry, grounded in the cited sources. Original commentary, not Games Workshop rules text.