You’ve probably spent hours painting tiny plastic shoulders or screaming at a dice roll that came up a natural one. If you’re into Warhammer 40,000 or Age of Sigmar, you know the lore is basically a fever dream of cosmic horror and heavy metal aesthetics. But when people talk about the six treasures of chaos, things get a little weird.
Actually, they get very weird.
Usually, when gamers bring this up, they aren't talking about a generic pile of gold. They’re talking about the Archaon quest—the "Everchosen" path. This isn't just flavor text; it’s the backbone of how one guy basically broke the world. Archaon didn't just wake up and decide to be the big bad. He had to go on a literal scavenger hunt through hell to collect six specific artifacts to prove he was the boss of everyone.
Why the Six Treasures of Chaos Actually Matter
Most people think these are just stat boosters for a tabletop miniature. Wrong. In the actual narrative depth provided by Games Workshop authors like Aaron Dembski-Bowden or Phil Kelly, these items represent the absolute corruption of the soul. They are cursed. They are sentient. Honestly, they probably hate the person wearing them.
To understand why the six treasures of chaos are so iconic, you have to look at the sheer scale of the trial. Archaon spent over a century in the Chaos Wastes. Think about that. A hundred years of fighting demons just to get a helmet. It’s a level of dedication that makes your local "try-hard" player look like a casual.
💡 You might also like: Why EA Sports Cricket 07 is Still the King of the Pitch Two Decades Later
The Mark of Chaos and the Quest for Power
First off, you’ve got the Mark of Chaos. This isn't an "item" you can drop on the floor. It’s a brand. It’s the gods saying, "Okay, we all agree this guy is our champion." Usually, the gods (Khorne, Nurgle, Tzeentch, and Slaanesh) don't play well together. They’re like toddlers with nukes. But for the Everchosen, they make an exception.
The Mark is the first of the six treasures of chaos because it grants the favor of all four powers. Without it, the other five treasures would probably just incinerate the user on contact. It’s the prerequisite. It’s the "you must be this evil to ride" sign at the gates of the Warp.
The Physical Relics: More Than Just Metal
After the Mark, things get physical. Archaon had to track down the Armor of Morkar. Morkar was the first Everchosen, and his armor is basically invulnerable. But it’s not just "thick plate." It’s soul-bonded. When Archaon found it, he had to fight a literal daemon prince just to pull it off a corpse.
Then there’s the Eye of Sheerian. This one is tucked into the Crown of Domination.
📖 Related: Walkthrough Final Fantasy X-2: How to Actually Get That 100% Completion
Imagine having a third eye that doesn't just see the future—it sees every possible failure you could ever commit. It was ripped from the head of a Tzeentchian Greater Daemon. It gives the wearer prophetic sight. In-game, this usually translates to "you can't hit me," but in the lore, it’s a psychological nightmare. You’re seeing every way you die, all at once, forever.
The Sword and the Steed
You can't be a dark lord without a cool horse and a flaming sword. It’s basically the rules of fantasy.
The Slayer of Kings is the sword. It’s got a Greater Daemon named U'zhul trapped inside it. This is a huge point of lore: the sword is constantly trying to kill the wielder. Archaon has to keep his will stronger than the daemon's just to keep the blade from turning around and taking his own head off. It’s a high-stakes relationship.
Then you have Worgroth (or Dorghar), the Steed of the Apocalypse. This isn't a horse. It’s a shapeshifting monstrosity that eats the souls of its enemies. In Age of Sigmar, it grows three heads because it ate a bunch of Greater Daemons. It’s overkill, frankly. But that’s Chaos for you.
👉 See also: Stick War: Why This Flash Classic Still Dominates Strategy Gaming
The final piece is the Crown of Domination. This thing radiates an aura of pure terror. It’s the crown that signals to every beast, man, and daemon that you are the king. It was found in the First City of Chaos, tucked away in a place that shouldn't exist.
How This Influences Modern Gaming Strategy
If you're playing Total War: Warhammer or the tabletop version, the six treasures of chaos aren't just lore—they are mechanics.
- Prioritize the Mark. In almost every iteration of the game, getting the universal favor of the gods is your biggest power spike. It's the "force multiplier."
- The Slayer of Kings is a gamble. High risk, high reward. In the lore, it can fail. In the game, it’s often a massive damage buff that comes with a cost.
- The Eye of Sheerian is for defense. Don't sleep on the wards and dodge bonuses. Chaos is great at hitting hard, but the "treasures" are what keep you alive long enough to actually land the hit.
Actually, a lot of players make the mistake of thinking these items make Archaon invincible. They don't. They make him a target. In the lore, Sigmar eventually smashed him. Well, sort of. It’s complicated. The point is, even with all six treasures, you can still lose if you’re arrogant.
Actionable Insights for Lore Buffs and Players
If you want to actually master the Chaos faction or understand the narrative better, here is what you need to do next:
- Read "Archaon: Everchosen" by Rob Sanders. This is the definitive source. It goes into the gritty, gross, and terrifying details of how he actually got these items. It's much darker than the rulebooks suggest.
- Study the "End Times" narrative arc. This is where the six treasures of chaos actually "won." It’s controversial because it literally blew up the world, but it shows the items at their peak power.
- Kitbash your models. If you’re a hobbyist, don’t just use the standard Archaon model. Try to represent each of the six treasures through your painting. Use different textures for the Eye of Sheerian or a different glow for the Slayer of Kings.
- Focus on Ward Saves. When building a Chaos Lord in-game, mimic the treasures by stacking "save" modifiers. Chaos isn't about having the most units; it's about having one unit that refuses to die.
The reality of the six treasures of chaos is that they represent a bargain. You get the world, but you lose your humanity. Archaon started as a templar of Sigmar. He was a good guy. He found out the truth about the gods and decided that if the world was going to burn, he might as well be the one holding the torch.
That’s the real "treasure"—the realization that in a universe of dark gods, power is the only currency that matters, even if it eventually consumes you.