This section contains the rules and background for some of the most iconic and powerful magical artefacts used by the Ogres of the Ogre Kingdoms. These may be used in addition to the magic items found in the Warhammer rulebook.
Magic Weapons
A legendary weapon of old, the Thundermace is made from a great hunk taken out of an unfeasibly large foundation stone from the base of a skycastle. The great weaponhead is bound with meteoric iron onto a long stout tree trunk. When brought down over the head, the accumulated force of several tons of masonry explodes outward from the point of impact. It is said that the rumbling aftershocks of a blow from the Thundermace can be heard for miles and there have been several times in its storied history when particularly prodigious blows have started avalanches.
Great weapon. The wielder may choose to exchange all of his Attacks in close combat to make a single 'Thundercrush Attack'. Roll To Hit against the highest Weapon Skill amongst the enemy models in base contact. If the Thundercrush Attack hits, place the small template anywhere so that it is touching the wielder's base. Any infantry, war beasts or swarm models that lie underneath the template (friend or foe!) suffer a single Strength 3 hit. The model under the template's central hole instead suffers a single Strength 9 hit with the Multiple Wounds (D3) special rule. A model with any other troop type beneath the template is too big to be crushed, and doesn't suffer any hits.
The origins of the two-handed obsidian club known as Siegebreaker are unknown, but many notorious Ogre Tyrants have famously wielded it down the ages. It is the very weapon Bruto Thundergut used to smash his way into many of the immense mountaintop fortresses of the Sky-titans many thousands of years ago. Yet not all of the Siegebreaker's deeds are ancient legend, the leader of the Rockheart tribe smashed through the greenskin blockade of Deathpass, and only a few years ago it was used by Tyrant Lug Boulderhead to turn the Dwaffen watchtower atop Ravenpeak into rubble - although Lug was subsequently buried.
Great weapon. Roll To Hit against the enemy's Initiative instead of his Weapon Skill, and no Parry saves are allowed - it is impossible to deflect a blow from the weapon. In addition, when assaulting models in a building, the wielder can make a 'Siegebreaker Attack' instead of attacking normally in the Close Combat phase (though he may still Stomp). A Siegebreaker Attack inflicts D6 hits with a Strength equal to the height of the building in inches, up to a maximum Strength of 10 (so, for example, models in a building that is 6 inches high would suffer D6 Strength 6 hits). Measure from the base of the building to its highest point.
Magic Armour
All Ogres are in awe of the near-sentient gauntlet known as the Greedy Fist. On great occasions, but always after an especially monumental feat of violence occurs in a tribe's maw-pit - such as a spectacular guts-out challenge for Tyranthood or a particularly brutal pit-fight - a strange and wondrous thing has been known to happen. From out of the bones and broken bits that gather in the corners of any maw-pit crawls a black ironfist, moving on its own, its articulated finger joints pulling it across the bloody ground With punch-spikes of iron and tusk embedded into the knuckles, the formidable weapon drags itself to a worthy Ogre who may then claim it for a time.
Ironfist. The wearer gains +1 Strength and a Ward Save (6+). If a Magic Weapon inflicts a Wound that is saved by this Ward save, its magical properties are consumed by the Greedy Fist; from the end of this close combat it is treated as a normal, non-magical weapon of the same type for the remainder of the game. In addition, an enemy Wizard loses a Wizard level and a randomly selected spell each time they are hit by an Ogre wearing the Greedy Fist.
Blessed by generations of Ogre Butchers, this polished brass gutplate has mighty powers. Its huge set of iron jaws can open wide and swallow a foe in battle, and according to Ogres, the victim passes straight through and into the Great Maw itself: There it is consumed and the life force of those ingested by the Gut Maw is passed on to bolster its wearer.
Medium armour. An Ogre wearing the Gut Maw has the Terror special rule. In addition, he recovers one lost Wound (up to his starting number) for each unsaved Wound he causes in a challenge.
The Mastodon Armour is a great set of plates and chainmail forged by the Chaos Dwarfs in exchange for hundreds of Human and Gnoblar slaves. It shifts and hardens in response to incoming attacks.
Medium armour. If the wearer is killed by an attack that is not made in close combat, roll a D6; on a 2+, they will remain in play with one Wound remaining.
Arcane Items
When Greasus Goldtooth slew the ice drake Jaugrel, that great beast's hide was stripped away. It took a full two dozen Ogres to lift that mighty skin and haul it back to the halls of the Overtyrant. Since that day, the vast hide has been cut up and put to many different uses - the most famous of which is the Dragonhide Banner. Although still reeking from the stench of that decaying wyrm, the banner is said to pass on some of its former owner's legendary ferocity and is wreathed in chill winds. Those that fight beneath it certainly believe in its power and glory.
Models in a unit with the Dragonhide Banner can re-roll all To Hit, To Wound and saving throw rolls of 1 on the turn they make a successful charge. In addition, the bearer of the banner can use it to unleash an icy blast. This is a Strength 3 Breath Weapon with the Ice Attacks special rule.
Butchers especially covet the ichor-soaked hearts of Spawn that were once mighty Sorcerers of Chaos. As the fickle powers of the dark gods still reside in such foul organs, a Butcher that can swallow a heart whole can, with a single loud and disgusting belch, issue forth a swirling vortex of magical anarchy. Such a maelstrom is not only malodorous, but will also play havoc with any nearby enemy wizards, subjecting their minds to dangerous currents of deadly magic.
One Use Only. The Hellheart can be used at the start of one of the opposing side's Magic phases, immediately after rolling for the Winds of Magic. All enemy Wizards within 12" of the bearer must roll 2D6 on the Miscast Table. Special rules or magic items that affect a normal miscast roll can be used against miscasts caused by the Hellheart. After resolving all the Miscasts, add an extra dispel dice to the Ogre's dispel pool for each enemy Wizard that was forced to roll on the Miscast table.
Grut the Bloodthirsty was eventually lynched and eaten by his own tribe, who were riled up when he stole their flesh for use as ritual ingredients. Some of that mighty Butcher's malevolence seems to live on in his now-rusty sickle. Whenever a Butcher with Grut's Sickle joins a unit cries of 'who did that?', 'don't touch me!' and 'he's doing it again!' are sure to follow...
At the start of the Ogre Magic phase, the bearer of Grut's Sickle can inflict a single Wound on any unit he has joined. If he does so, then he adds +2 to all casting rolls he makes during that Magic phase. A Wound inflicted by Grut's Sickle is distributed as a shooting attack, and may not be saved in any way. Roll 2D6 at the end of each Magic phase where Grut's Sickle is used; on a roll of 3 or more nothing happens, but on a roll of double 1 the unit turns upon and slays the wielder of Grut's Sickle, and he is removed as a casualty with no saves of any kind allowed.
Enchanted Items
Although the tunnels beneath the Mountains of Mourn are dangerous, many Gnoblars risk them in order to search for Thiefstones. Strangely enchanted rocks, Thiefstones attract magical power, and with a brief pass of a Thiefstone over a corpse, any item of any importance will quickly stick to the stone. It is common practice for Ogres who notice Gnoblars with Thiefstones to relieve them of their heavy burden. An Ogre might dangle a Thiefstone around his neck on a chain or rope or tie one to his weapon shaft, for you never know when such an item will come in handy.
A Gnoblar Thiefstone grants the bearer Magic Resistance (1). In addition, roll on the following table when the model is deployed to see if the Thiefstone has helped them to 'find' any useful items. Note that this may result in the bearer of the Thiefstone having two or more Talismans. In addition, if a character is killed in close combat while being in base contact with the model wearing the Thiefstone, you will automatically be allowed to pick up any one Magic Item (except Magic Standards) that the slain character might have had, as long as the bearer does not already have a magic item of that type. The model with the Thiefstone may then use that item itself for the rest of the battle.
Magic Standards
Anointed with gore by Butchers, hung with runic items captured from the Dwarfs, and draped with numerous other tribal trophies, a Rune Maw constantly emits a low growl. When the banner detects a magical attack, that rumble rises to a predatory roar and, glowing bright the banner emits a deafening belch that deflects the magic of the spell, causing it to hit elsewhere.
When any enemy spell targeting a unit with the Rune Maw is successfully cast, roll a D6. On a roll of 2+, the caster must choose a new target for the spell. If no other target is available (because no other target is in range or all eligible units have already been targeted, for example), then the spell is wasted but still counts as having been cast. Spells that do not specifically target the unit are not affected by the Rune Maw.