Neave Blacktalon

Why play Neave

Auroch calls Neave a living weapon of Sigmar and describes her combat as a torrent of whirling axe swings. In the October build she starts with Tempest Axes. The confirmed evolution is Whirlwind Axes, a lightning-infused form that adds arcing strikes to the melee pattern.

That combination gives Neave a rare quality in a pre-launch guide: the power spike is documented by a hands-on source, not only by a community table. IGN evolved Tempest Axes after choosing and levelling Sabaton. We still do not have the exact level threshold, but the pair itself is the clearest evolution lesson in the demo.

• Confirmed starting weapon: Tempest Axes.
• Confirmed evolution: Whirlwind Axes.
• Press-tested companion: Sabaton.
• Demo status: playable in the May and October demos.

The Sabaton evolution route

Sabaton is a movement passive. That makes the Neave route unusually honest: the passive helps you stay in the pocket where the axes already want to be, and the evolution turns that positioning into lightning. You are not carrying a dead item until the evolution trigger; you are improving the exact behaviour the build depends on.

The October player reports suggest maxing the weapon and opening a boss chest as the general trigger pattern, but the exact level and chest rules are not confirmed. Check both items, follow the boss-chest lead and do not dismantle a working build because the transformation did not happen on the first elite.

Movement pattern

Neave’s axe coverage wants enemies close, but her body still cannot stand in the middle of a surround. Move in a broad circle and cut across the front edge of the pack. The enemy line follows the outside of your turn, and the axes meet that line as it compresses.

When a ranged threat appears, break the circle and cross the arena instead of orbiting into the projectile lane. The Stormcast’s damage is contact-based; every second spent walking through empty space is a second the horde is not in the blades. Use the arena to bring the horde back together, then resume the sweep.

• Do not reverse into the pack to finish a nearly dead elite.
• Use Sabaton to widen the circle, not to sprint blindly through it.
• Keep a clear exit line when a boss or rescue ring forms.

Build priorities

Damage, area and attack speed are the core. A faster axe cycle makes the overlap more forgiving; area makes the orbit cover more of the pack. Sabaton is the support layer that keeps the whole pattern mobile. After the evolution, continue investing in the axes rather than switching to a new project.

The full Tempest Storm build lists the order. If you are comparing starters, the demo tier list explains why Neave sits beside Caedo at the top of our editorial ranking.

Aqshy and Skaven notes

Against Skaven, keep moving perpendicular to a Vermintide line. Rat Ogors are the priority burst target because Warp Fury makes them faster and harder to push back. Bell of Doom is a second priority: if the swarm is Warded, your axe arcs are spending damage on a buffed target instead of the source.

Neave’s close-range pattern is weakest when the arena forces a narrow corridor. In those spaces, do not try to hold the centre. Clear one edge, move through, and use the axes to protect the turn rather than the stand.