Tomb Kings of Khemri: Liche Priests – Lore, Rules Insight, Tactics & Painting

Liche Priests are the immortal high magi of the Tomb Kings of Khemri—keepers of funerary rites, masters of desert winds, and the will that binds skeletal legions to ancient oaths. On the tabletop, they’re the engines of your magic phase and the custodians of your army’s undeath. Protect them, position them well, and your ranks will grind forward with eerie inevitability; lose them, and the desert claims what is owed.

Who Are the Liche Priests? (Setting & Lore)

Long before the Old World’s current age, the priesthood of Khemri pursued arcane alchemy, embalming arts, and forbidden lore meant to preserve soul and body. When the great necromantic cataclysm reshaped Nehekhara, the priesthood endured as Liche Priests—mummified scholars whose minds remain razor‑sharp. They guide their kings from gilded palanquins and temple steps, chant invocations that stir the dead to unlife, and command djinn‑dry spirits to smother the living beneath dunes and silence.

• Role in society: Advisors to Tomb Kings, archivists of dynastic memory, and custodians of mortuary cults.
• Symbols: Crook and staff, scarab and vulture, lapis and gold; sand‑swirled iconography; sacred cartouches.
• Personality: Patient, exacting, and utterly devoted to ritual purity and the law of the tomb.

On‑Table Role: Why Every Khemri Army Wants a Liche Priest

Liche Priests are the magic core of the Tomb Kings. They channel the desert’s breath to bolster your battleline, sap enemy resolve, and—most critically—maintain the bindings that keep your legions marching. Expect them to:

• Amplify infantry and constructs: Augments can tip grindy combats; curses blunt elite enemy threats.
• Control tempo: Movement‑adjacent invocations (pushes, reforms, or board‑control effects) can win scenarios without a single extra kill.
• Stabilize attrition: Healing or re‑animating effects help your skeletal bricks outlast opponents on objectives.
• Serve as Hierophant: In many lists, one Liche Priest becomes the vital spiritual anchor. Guard this model with screens, cover, and disciplined positioning.

Magic Phase Fundamentals (Khemri Style)

The Tomb Kings’ magic leans toward reliable augmentation, attrition drain, and battlefield control. Rather than chasing flashy nukes every turn, you’ll often prioritize:

• One key augment that swings the central melee (Tomb Guard, skeletal spears, chariots on the charge).
• Defensive insurance to keep your Hierophant and constructs alive through the enemy’s push.
• Pressure spells that force dispel decisions—chip damage, leadership pain points, or movement denial that taxes their dice.

Practical rhythm: open with a low‑risk “tax” cast to bait out dice, land your high‑impact buff, then close with utility if the winds allow. In return turns, hold dice for a clutch dispel that keeps your anvil standing.

Army Synergies – Where Liche Priests Shine

• Skeleton Warriors & Spearmen: Your anvil. Park a Liche Priest just behind the block. Buffs here multiply across a lot of models and win missions by standing firm.
• Tomb Guard: Elite infantry turn good augments into game‑winning combats. Protect their flanks; let magic do the heavy lifting.
• Chariots: Movement‑smart magic makes charges cleaner and break tests cruel. Use sand‑swift positioning to isolate targets.
• Ushabti & Bone Giants: Stacking modest offensive/defensive boosts on constructs yields disproportionate returns. Repair effects matter here.
• Scorpions & Carrion/Vultures: Ambushers and flyers pin key units so your main augments land where they count.
• Casket‑adjacent play: If you field reliquaries or magical engines, their presence increases casting pressure and can bait dispels, clearing the way for your bread‑and‑butter invocations.

Positioning & Protection – Keep the Hierophant “Alive”

The difference between a confident Khemri general and a crumbled battleline is often 3″ of placement. Treat your Liche Priest like the keystone of an arch:

• Depth, not distance: Sit just behind the anvil to stay within buff range but out of easy charge arcs.
• Layered screening: A thin rank of archers or a small warrior file can intercept opportunistic charges and skirmishers.
• Terrain discipline: Partial cover and impassable features deny line‑of‑sight shots toward your Priest.
• Redundancy: In larger games, consider a second Liche Priest to share casting load and absorb the dice tax.
• Late‑game pivot: As combats devolve, step the Priest sideways—never leave them stranded ahead of a collapsing flank.

List‑Building Ideas (Concepts, Not Fixed Points)

“Enduring Phalanx” – Infantry Core

• Hierophant Liche Priest supporting a large Skeleton Warriors or Spearmen block.
• Tomb Guard as the punchy anvil in the center.
• Archers for chip pressure and screens.
• Construct pick (Ushabti or a Bone Giant) to capitalize on buffs.
• Utility: Fast harassment (Scorpions/Carrion) to pin heroes and war machines.

Plan: Walk the midline, trade efficiently, and use steady magic to outlast on objectives.

“Desert Hammer” – Chariot Pressure

• Liche Priest riding with or just behind Chariots to set up decisive charges.
• Flank Tomb Guard or Ushabti to lock the countercharge.
• Scorpions to disrupt soft backlines.

Plan: Bait and punish. Magic converts clean charges into routs; your speed dictates engagements.

Hobby & Painting Guide – Make Your Priest Pop

Liche Priests are showpiece characters: flowing robes, gilded icons, and the perfect canvas for Old World desert tones. Here’s a fast but striking approach:

• Bone & linen: Prime sand or bone. Wash with sepia, then drybrush with a light bone. Add thin off‑white highlights on cheekbones and fingers.
• Gold & bronze: Base with a warm gold; shade with brown‑black in recesses; edge with a pale gold. For aged bronze, glaze tiny streaks of turquoise‑green into recesses (verdigris) and re‑establish metallic edges.
• Lapis accents: A deep blue on hems, amulets, and cartouches ties the scheme to Nehekharan regalia. Edge with a lighter blue‑grey to mimic stone inlay.
• Spellglow (OSL): If your Priest has a spell effect, glaze thin teal into the palm and surrounding cloth. Keep it subtle—glow should accent, not overwhelm.
• Basing: Crackled desert, broken obelisks, and sun‑bleached tufts. A tiny scarab or pottery shard sells the scene.

Table Etiquette & Micro‑Tactics (Win Margins, Not Just Fights)

• Cast order matters: Lead with a “must‑answer” utility spell, drop your core augment when their dice are thin, then tidy the board with a cheap finisher.
• Clock management: In objective missions, use magic to hold, not just to wound—force opponents to over‑commit into your ranks.
• Dice budgeting: Save just enough for a key dispel in their turn. Averted enemy magic spikes are how Khemri wins late.
• Targets of opportunity: If the enemy exposes anti‑magic tools or snipers, pin them with fast pieces so your Priest can work unmolested.

Common Mistakes (and Easy Fixes)

• Overexposing the Hierophant: A single failed screen can cost the game. Keep the Priest behind units, not beside them.
• Overcasting “wow” spells: One reliable buff beats a risky haymaker. Play for the turn that matters most.
• Ignoring scenario play: Resurrection and control effects shine when you’re scoring. Don’t chase wipes—chase the win condition.
• Forgetting redundancy: At higher points, a second Priest or a protective item is cheap insurance. Bring it.

Kit Notes (What Hobbyists Appreciate)

The modern Liche Priest kit showcases layered robes, ornate headdresses, sculpted cartouches, and staff/crook options that telegraph “high magus” from across the table. Expect crisp details for drybrushing linen and broad, smooth panels that take freehand hieroglyphs beautifully. If your kit includes variant heads or arms, assemble one “ritualist” on foot for your battleline and a second, more martial pose for a mobile support role—visual cues help you and your opponent track which Priest is the Hierophant.

Image Suggestions

• Hero banner: Liche Priest addressing a ranked Skeleton block with desert sun behind.
• Magic moment: Close‑up of spellglow on the palm, with OSL on scrolls and gems.
• Army synergy: Priest behind Tomb Guard with a construct looming—“brains and brawn” shot.
• Basing detail: Obelisk fragment, scarab, cracked crust—palette callouts for bone, lapis, and gold.

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