Lore of Shadows

The Lore of Shadows is a lore of magic introduced in Total War: Warhammer.

Lore Attribute[ | ]

Smoke & Mirrors[ \| ]
A conjured shadow is just as obfuscating as a real one - the Shadow Wizard is a master or mistress of the 'concealing' arts.
	Passive Ability Lore of Shadows
Type	Augment (Area)
Target	Self, Allies
Speed	+10%
Effect range	Map-wide
Duration	24 seconds
Affected units	Affects allies in range(all)
Enabled if	Casting
Triggers when casting spell

Spells[ | ]

Melkoth's Mystifying Miasma[ \| ]
The caster weaves a confounding fog that numbs and deludes enemies, causing them to stumble and stagger.
	Spell Lore of Shadows
Cost	6 Winds 9 Winds (Overcast)
Type	Direct Damage
Target	Enemy
Damage Per Second	65-125
Speed	-25%
Range	100 metres 300 metres (Overcast)
Duration	14 seconds
Cooldown	29 seconds
Miscast chance	50% (Overcast)
Affected units	Affects enemies in range(max: 1)
Extended cast range
Causes damage to combatants Strong vs 25 men unit or above Strong vs multiple combatants Weak vs a single combatant

The Enfeebling Foe[ \| ]
When cast, this spell enfeebles enemy minds; they feel the crushing weight of reality bearing down upon them.
	Spell Lore of Shadows
Cost	6 Winds 10 Winds (Overcast)
Type	Hex
Target	Enemy
Melee Defence	-24
Melee Attack	-24
Range	200 metres
Duration	17 seconds 34 seconds (Overcast)
Cooldown	30 seconds
Miscast chance	50% (Overcast)
Affected units	Affects enemies in range(max: 1)
Extended effect duration

The Withering[ \| ]
The Wizard destroys their enemies from within, corroding foes' minds with doubt and crisis.
	Spell Lore of Shadows
Cost	6 Winds 12 Winds (Overcast)
Type	Hex Hex (Area) (Overcast)
Target	Enemy Enemies (Overcast)
Leadership	-8
Armour	-30
Range	200 metres
Effect range (Overcast)	35 metres (Overcast)
Duration	40 seconds
Cooldown	43 seconds
Miscast chance	50% (Overcast)
Affected units	Affects enemies in range(max: 1) Affects enemies in range(all) (Overcast)
Added effect area

The Penumbral Pendulum[ \| ]
A spectral pendulum is summoned by the Wizard. On command, it swings, razor sharp and with lethal speed, through the foe.
	Spell Lore of Shadows
Cost	12 Winds 16 Winds (Overcast)
Type	Wind
Target	Ground, All
Damage Per Second	36 (50%) 45 (60%) (Overcast)
Duration	2 seconds
Radius	4 metres
Movement Speed	40m/s
Range	200 metres
Duration	3 seconds
Cooldown	40 seconds
Miscast chance	50% (Overcast)
Affected units	Affects enemies in range(max: 1)
Affects units if	Grounded
Increased armour-piercing damage
Small, foward-moving area of effect Strong vs multiple combatants Weak vs a single combatant

Pit of Shades[ \| ]
The spellcaster opens a vortex leading into the Pit. Anything caught within it will be lost forever.
	Spell Lore of Shadows
Cost	15 Winds 22 Winds (Overcast)
Type	Vortex
Target	Ground, All
Damage Per Second	5 (100%) 8 (100%) (Overcast)
Duration	13 seconds
Radius	15 metres
Movement Speed	40m/s
Range	200 metres
Duration	13 seconds
Cooldown	49 seconds
Miscast chance	50% (Overcast)
Affected units	Affects enemies in range(max: 1)
Increased armour-piercing damage
Huge, stationary area of effect Strong vs multiple combatants Good against armour

Okkam's Mindrazor[ \| ]
The supernatural solution is often the best; weapons materialise before the caster's allies, allowing them to slice through flesh, soul, and consciousness.
	Spell Lore of Shadows
Cost	8 Winds 14 Winds (Overcast)
Type	Augment Augment (Area) (Overcast)
Target	Self, Ally Allies (Overcast)
Imbuement	Magical Attacks
Base Weapon Damage	+50%
Armour-Piercing Weapon Damage	+50%
Range	200 metres
Duration	32 seconds
Cooldown	46 seconds
Miscast chance	50% (Overcast)
Affected units	Affects allies in range(max: 1) Affects allies in range(all) (Overcast)
Added effect area

Units[ | ]

Beastmen[ | ]

Unit
Malagor the Dark Omen	✔	🗙	✔	🗙	✔	🗙	🗙
Great Bray-Shaman (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Bray-Shaman (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Daemons of Chaos[ | ]

Unit
The Daemon Prince	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
The Blue Scribes	🗙	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Exalted Keeper of Secrets (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Herald of Slaanesh (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Alluress (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Dark Elves[ | ]

Unit
Morathi	✔	✔	🗙	🗙	🗙	✔	🗙
Supreme Sorceress (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Sorceress (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

High Elves[ | ]

Unit
Teclis	✔	🗙	✔	🗙	🗙	🗙	🗙
Cavill	🗙	✔	🗙	🗙	🗙	🗙	🗙
Archmage (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Loremaster of Hoeth	🗙	✔	🗙	🗙	🗙	🗙	🗙
Mage (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Kislev[ | ]

Unit
Ulrika Magdova	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Hag Witch (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Lizardmen[ | ]

Unit
Slann Mage-Priest (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Norsca[ | ]

Unit
Fimir Balefiend (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Nurgle[ | ]

Unit
Ketzak Fimdirach	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Slaanesh[ | ]

Unit
Exalted Keeper of Secrets (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Daemon Prince of Slaanesh	✔	🗙	✔	✔	🗙	✔	🗙
Herald of Slaanesh (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Alluress (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Chaos Sorcerer of Slaanesh (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

The Empire[ | ]

Unit
Grey Wizard	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Tomb Kings[ | ]

Unit
Liche Priest (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Tzeentch[ | ]

Unit
Kairos Fateweaver	✔	🗙	🗙	🗙	✔	🗙	✔
The Changeling (Formless Horror: Be'lakor)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
The Changeling (Formless Horror: Count Noctilus)	✔	✔	🗙	✔	🗙	✔	🗙
The Changeling (Formless Horror: Drycha)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
The Changeling (Formless Horror: Kairos Fateweaver)	🗙	🗙	🗙	🗙	✔	🗙	🗙
The Changeling (Formless Horror: Malagor the Dark Omen)	✔	🗙	✔	🗙	✔	🗙	🗙
The Changeling (Formless Horror: Morathi)	✔	✔	🗙	🗙	🗙	✔	🗙
The Changeling (Formless Horror: Teclis)	✔	🗙	✔	🗙	🗙	🗙	🗙
The Changeling (Formless Horror: The Blue Scribes)	🗙	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
The Changeling (Formless Horror: Ulrika Magdova)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
The Blue Scribes	🗙	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Vampire Coast[ | ]

Unit
Count Noctilus	✔	✔	🗙	✔	🗙	✔	🗙

Vampire Counts[ | ]

Unit
Lahmian Vampire Lord	🗙	🗙	✔	🗙	✔	🗙	✔
Vampire (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Warriors of Chaos[ | ]

Unit
Be'lakor	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
The Blue Scribes	🗙	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Chaos Sorcerer Lord (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Daemon Prince of Slaanesh	✔	🗙	✔	✔	🗙	✔	🗙
Chaos Sorcerer (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Chaos Sorcerer of Slaanesh (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Wood Elves[ | ]

Unit
Drycha	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Spellweaver (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Malevolent Ancient Treeman (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Spellsinger (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Branchwraith	✔	✔	🗙	✔	✔	🗙	🗙
Malevolent Branchwraith (Shadows)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Strategy[ | ]

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Lore of shadows is a strong lore with many hex and augment spells alongside some heavy damaging ones. The lore attribute is notable for lasting a surprisingly long time. The speed boost itself is not super significant, but the fact that it lasts for 24 seconds means that your units will be that slight bit faster for a while.

Melkoth's Miasma is a solid spell for slowing enemies down while also doing damage to them, it also works well with the lore passive, speeding all friendly units up to catch slowed enemies.

Penumbral Pendulum is a very strong "wind" spell that can wreck infantry formations. They can be very effective against stationary targets such as archers or the front line of an engagement.

Pit of Shades is a stationary vortex. Its inherent armor piercing damage makes this spell useful against both light and heavily armored troops. As it is stationary, it is useful when units are bottlenecked or clumped together. Its initial expansion may toss lighter troops away from the subsequent pull and damage of the the rift that opens up. Due to the suction of the rift, units have difficulty escaping its effect radius after the initial expansion. When upgraded, Pit of Shades increases the armor piercing damage it does.

Enfeebling Foe is another great spell for neutering the melee stats of a unit. Useful for critical engagements between lords or hampering a key unit on the battlefield.

Use whenever you reach a critical engagement of the battle. This spell is useful for preventing damage from going through or increasing the likelihood of an enemy taking damage.

Okkam's Mindrazor is a straight damage boost, it is percentage based so will effect units with higher values to begin with. Best used on more elite units or even a character that needs to hit harder. Notably, melee attack and defence does not increase, so their likelihood of dealing damage is the same. Enfeebeling Foe and Mindrazor can be used in similar scenarios or combined with another ability to win a fight (use enfeebling to reduce combat stats and Deadly Onslaught to increase damage for example).

The Withering is not very useful, lowering a single enemies leadership and armour is not very worthwhile. Overcast adds an area of effect that can help reduce the armour of many enemies, but still you are better of saving your Winds for another spell. The two effects are quite different and somewhat unrelated which makes it an awkward to use spell. If your enemy has high armour though, this ability can provide some niche utility for stripping it and making them vulnerable to a rear charge that could break their leadership.

Overall this lore has many strong spells, suitably it is a relatively subtle lore of magic that can swing the favor of battle in key engagements.

Trivia[ | ]

Available to generic casters of nine races, the Lore of Shadows is the second-most commonly available lore. It is beaten only by Death, available to ten.

Magic