| “ | I saw that carnival, terrible it was, a thousand wagons pulled by a thousand skinny beasts. All covered in rancid hides they was, people in threadbare cloaks, making their way towards town. And then one of them, it was like he was made of dough so fat and pale he was, asked me to dance. And suddenly it was as if he was a real gent, a proper nob, with a nice jacket and all. And as he asked me I heard music like there was a band of minstrels right behind him. But I looked again and there was only his grotty wagon and his sick nag. Well, I don't dance, see, so I took a bite of me onion and ran as fast as I could. | „ |
| ~ Hilde Braun |
The Carnival of Chaos is a grotesque and nightmarish warband associated with the Chaos God Nurgle in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. It is best known from Mordheim, the skirmish-based game set in the ruined city of the same name. The Carnival embodies Nurgle's twisted sense of humor, blending the imagery of a traveling circus with the horrific decay of plague and pestilence.
The Carnival of Chaos reflects Nurgle’s core philosophy: the inevitability of decay, but also the twisted joy that comes with it. Unlike other Chaos warbands driven by ambition or slaughter, the Carnival seeks to share Nurgle’s "gifts" with the world, infecting all with their grotesque merriment.
Description[]
The Carnival of Chaos is a blasphemous parody of the traveling fairs and jesters that once entertained the people of the Empire. Instead of joy and laughter, they bring disease, corruption, and death. These twisted troupes wander the wastelands and ruins, spreading Nurgle's gifts to all who cross their path. Some say they were once ordinary performers who fell to the temptations of Chaos, while others claim they are conjured from the very essence of Nurgle’s will.
Composition of the Warband[]
The warband consists of various grotesque characters, each playing a role in their corrupted carnival:
- The Carnival Master – The warband’s leader, a bloated and rotting showman who serves Nurgle with pride. He commands his diseased minions with sinister glee.
- Bringers of Pestilence – These hulking brutes serve as enforcers, wielding massive weapons and spreading sickness with every strike.
- Plaguebearers – Daemons of Nurgle who join the Carnival, acting as living manifestations of disease and corruption.
- Tainted Ones – Former acrobats and entertainers now hideously mutated by Nurgle’s blessings. They retain unnatural agility, making them deadly opponents.
- Brethren – The mortal followers of Nurgle, often former peasants and performers who have succumbed to the Carnival’s influence. They act as foot soldiers and disease carriers.
- Nurglings – Mischievous and revolting little daemons that caper and giggle through the battlefield, spreading rot and decay in their wake.
- Plague Cart – A nightmarish wagon pulled by diseased beasts, the Plague Cart carries the Carnival’s most sacred relics: rotting corpses, toxic fumes, and daemonic effigies. It serves as both a mobile shrine and a fearsome weapon in battle.
Tactics and Playstyle[]
In Mordheim, the Carnival of Chaos plays as a resilient but slow-moving force. Their strengths lie in their incredible durability, as many of their units are immune to poison and have abilities that spread disease to their enemies. Their magic and ranged attacks are limited, but they make up for it with powerful melee units and the ability to debilitate enemy warbands over time.
Gallery[]
