"Say what you will of us. Call us heathens because we deny your weak pretender-God. Call us savages because we strike at you. But know this – it is we who are closest to the Ruinous Powers. We most favored of the Gods shall raid your lands, revel in your suffering and destroy you. Despair! For all that remains for you is the taste of Northern steel and the end of your world. Such is the will of the Gods."

    - Hallbjörn, Norscan Marauder

    In the frozen roof of the world - Norsca - live the many and various northern tribes collectively known as the Norse. Born in that frigid, hostile place, Norsemen are universally powerful – gifted with ferocity and strength at arms. Believing themselves to be closest to the gods, they flock to the banners of the great Chaos Champions in the hopes of proving themselves worthy of favor. These brutal Norse warriors are the Marauders – a fanatical throng whose only interest is destruction. Bred for war, dedicated to the gods, endlessly violent. This is all a Marauder knows or cares to be.

    Marauder Specialty

    As favored warriors of Tzeentch, Marauders are granted the Gift of Change in its purest form. As their bloodlust rises in anticipation of the violence of battle or pillaging, the energy of Chaos itself courses through the Marauder, bringing about dramatic physical changes. Limbs stretch into obscene forms, skin changes to iron or scale or stone, features multiply or disappear. The look of a Marauder mutated and ready to attack is terrifying to behold. Each mutation brings with it an additional, unique gift that aides the Marauder in battle. These gifts help to direct and enhance the destructive force of the Marauder and, in turn, help to earn greater favor (and more horrible gifts) from the Changer of Ways.

    Playing as a Marauder

    As a Marauder, your only goal is to unleash the pure, destructive might of Change into the world. Feel the power of Chaos course through your body, changing you from a fearsome warrior into something much, much more horrible – and deadly. Once mutated, you will have access to numerous powerful abilities that will enable you to smash, slice, rend and crush your enemies. Each mutation that is granted to you by the Raven God will also bring with it some added benefit. Learn to use these wisely and you will become even more devastating on the battlefield.

    Fight the Marauder

    If you happen to find a Marauder in their unchanged form, thank Sigmar for the blessing and attack them immediately. Marauders are warrior-born and make intimidating opponents even without the hand of Tzeentch intervening, but your chances of defeating them are greatly reduced if they have time to mutate before an attack. Once changed, learn to recognize the various (and repulsive) mutations that have overtaken the Marauder, as these will be important clues as to what additional gifts the Lord of Change has granted this particular warrior.

    Marauder Look

    Barbaric, medium-strength armor.

    One-handed melee weapons of all kinds.

    Blasphemous offhand mutations that are best left unspoken.

    Career Masteries

    The Marauder is Tzeentch's favored agent of destruction, and has been granted the simplest and purest gift that the Raven Lord can give: change. The Marauder changes his very blood, bone, and body to reshape himself into a perfect warrior, capable of wreaking havoc and mayhem upon any foes who dare to cross him. He is, by necessity, only lightly-armored, since any more solid protection would merely be rent asunder as his warped and corrupted flesh distorted within it, but he ensures victory by simply slaughtering his enemies before they can react.

    Marauder Mechanic

    There are three different mutations that the Marauder can reshape his body into, each of which serves a specific purpose and offers its own benefits. By changing his very body as needed, the Marauder is capable of dispatching most any enemy, but he must always be aware of the flow of battle and ready to mutate into a different form as necessary. A Marauder who chooses poorly will find his punishment to be swift and immediate, for he is helpless and vulnerable during the few moments that it takes his body to flow into a new form, and a perceptive enemy will leap at the chance to take advantage of this brief window of weakness.

    Masteries

    Path of Brutality

    The Path of Brutality is focused around the Marauder's ability to warp his arm into a sharpened spike of bone. This blade-like appendage can deal horrifying injuries to an enemy, and a player specialized deeply in Brutality will likely be dealing the most damage possible against a single enemy, especially if the foe is distracted by others.

    Path of Savagery

    The Path of Savagery leads to a Marauder changing their arm into a monstrous claw, capable of tearing at enemies to cripple and hinder them while they quickly bleed to death. While perhaps not dealing as much immediately obvious damage as his other mutations, a master of Savagery kills his enemies in a more insidious way, weakening the target steadily so that they never realize just how much danger they're in until it's already too late.

    Path of Monstrosity

    The Path of Monstrosity focuses on the Marauder mutating their arm into a hideous club-like bludgeon of flesh and gore. The master of Monstrosity can use the massive bulk of their warped arm to defend themselves somewhat, and can sweep their limb around in broad, arcing swings, capable of damaging several enemies with each single smash.