Ok, the special characters are kind of a mixed bag, and unique in that none of them really make their normal counterparts obsolete- except one. There is no KoS special character (Sorry N’Kari), so we’ll start with...
Ku’Gath, the Plaguefather: Bad.
The most durable model in the book, having one extra wound over the GUO. however, he is almost twice as much: you’re paying 140 pts for 1 more wound, 1 more attack, a 50/50 chance of spawning a nurgling base, (each one is another KP...) and a 24” ap2 large blast, poisoned on 4+. Nahhh, I’ll pass.
Fateweaver, Oracle of Tzeentch: Legendary! or a Waste of Points.
Fateweaver (or Kairos) is straight-up better than a normal Lord of Change. Oh, sure he’s got all the tzeentch toys but warpfire: and that’s fine and dandy. BUT he also lets himself, and any unit within 6” re-roll cover, armor, and invulnerable saves! “Ward”ing staves? B**** please! A re-rolling 3++ is statistically better than a 2++. (careful, though: if he takes a wound, he has to take a leadership test, and if he fails, he’s removed as a casualty, and he’s the only Ld9 unit in the book.)
There’s a common gimmick called “fatecrusher”: it’s him, and a bunch of bloodcrushers. Not my style, but, you know, whatever works.
However, he BETTER be awesome: he’s 333 points! (hur hur, add up the digits for Tzeentch’s sacred number) If you’re going to use him, buy him, then make the rest of your list around him: he’s fracking expensive, and a list not designed around him will find him a waste of points. Note, I fall into the second category.
Skarbrand, the Exiled One: Helpful, or ACTIVELY HURTS YOUR ARMY.
Skarbrand is a mixed basket: for 30 pts more than a normal bloodthirster (automatically give it Might, remember?), you get Breath of Chaos, an instrument, slower, easier to block, and everyone within 24”, friend or foe, gets re-rolls to hit in CC.
You have to build an army around this guy not just because he’s expensive, but because your enemies get bonuses too: your nurgling tarpit won’t work if your opponents are re-rolling to hit against them. However, units like Fiends, which have high initiative and a flurry of attacks, benefit hugely from this, especially when hitting moving vehicles. Be really, really careful who and what you pick fights with, and remember, a smart opponent can use your 300pt character to HIS advantage.
next, vanilla heralds.
