A War Hydra upon the battlefield.
The War Hydras are fearsome monsters that have been specially trained for battle by Dark Elf Beastmasters, who have cared for the creatures since they were hatched.[4a] War Hydras are titanic monsters, creatures from the dark caverns below Blackspine Mountains. They are fearsome, scaled beasts with many serpentine heads that belch smoke and fire and rend men with their sharp fangs. Since ages past the Dark Elves have trained the Hydras to be used in war to break the lines of the enemy troops with their massive bulk and fiery breath.[3a]
Overview
A dead War Hydra.
They first came into the armies of the Naggarothi from the magical Annulii Mountains on Ulthuan, and can be found throughout the Iron and Black Spine ranges in Naggaroth. Since the start of the civil war, the Dark Elves have trained War Hydras. In vast dungeons beneath the cities, Beastmasters continually experiment with different breeding techniques and cast enchantments upon the Hydra's eggs to raise the ferocity of successive generations to new heights.[2a] The War Hydras of Naggaroth's armies are therefore a far more daunting foe than those the Dark Elves first encountered many long centuries ago in the Annulii Mountains.
The War Hydra are notoriously difficult for their handlers to control, and a Beastmaster must be quick with his lash lest he be devoured in the enemy's stead. For a Dark Elf warlord, this risk is well worth the price, for just as War Hydras are difficult to control, they are even more difficult to slay, for not only are their scaly bodies incredibly well-armoured, they also regenerate damage at a frightening rate.A foe's only chance is to sever all the monster's heads in quick succession, if even a single one remains, the remainder will swiftly grow back and devour the impudent attacker for his troubles.[1a]
There are many ways to be slain by a Hydra: torn apart, swallowed whole, crushed underfoot, immolated or even skewered by arrows as they ricochet off its scaled hide. Generals often see even their finest troops pulverized by just a single War Hydra and are then left to watch with horror as the beast emerges unscathed from the carnage, vents forth an ear-splitting roar, and then charges forward with thundering strides to trample another regiment into ruin.[1a]
Infamous War Hydras
- Incalamir
- The Beast of Raema
- Chill of Sontar - A frost breathing version of the normal hydra.[5]
