If the Dark Eldar/ Drukhari are the bastard-children of the WH40K universe, then the Beastmen are the Age of $igmar equivilent. Creatures of the Old World displaced by humanity's brutal encroachment into their domain, many fell to Chaos as a way to fight back against the xenophobic culling of their people. Not unlike the backstory, the Beastmen range have been relegated to the Webstore Exclusives, with only one or two units actually stocked in the stores - but next week they re-emerge into the light for a time with a new Battletome, a great Start Collecting box, Spells and some cool allies.
First up, full disclosure, we're big fans of Beastmen - the backstory, the miniatures and with the new version of Realms of Chaos soon to be released, this is a good day.
This new force is called the Beasts of Chaos brings not only the traditional Beastmen in, it also collects the Tzaangor and some of the old Chaos Beasts models as well. The Beasts of Chaos Battletome comes in your Scented Back-Fur Limited Edition or your standard Horn 'n' Hoof edition. With not even a different cover to differentiate them, it's another slap in the face for the Old World. In terms of miniatures, there's a great Start Collecting Beasts of Chaos set with a great selection of minis to start with, the new Herdstone and Endless Spells: Beasts of Chaos. It seems like magic is going to be a big part of this army, so you will be needing that Herdstone for sure! There are of course the themed dice and Warscroll Cards - pretty much guaranteed for any Age of $igmar release these days! Although there's no new infantry minis (sadly) the traditional Gors and Ungors (both retooled a few years back from the original plastic versions) plus the Bullgors and Chaos Warhounds. Also in the world of Age of $igmar, the Gutbusters are back - now initially I though this was to be allied with the Beasts of Chaos but maybe not - with the old Ogors set and the Scraplauncher/Ironblaster combi-kit back in stock and on the shelves.
With all this Age of $igmar stuff, Warhammer 40K is also getting some love with the Knight Preceptor Canis Rex Imperial Knight and Imperial Knights Transfer Sheet on pre-order this week. This new Knight kit has all the current versions in the one box, so there will be a lot of spares around... or a spike in magnet sales.
In books, the Shadespire: The Mirrored City novel will be out, plus a new audio drama centred around the little-seen and probably overdue for a colour scheme update Mortifactors Space Marine Chapter versus the brave and heroic Tau, Taker of Heads.
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Now... off to pre-order some Beastmen - and certainly not from Australian Games Workshop who have again not delivered a pre-order within a week of ordering it. Well done, idiots!
Going to try Emerald Hobbies (not an endorsement just a fact) this time and see how we go!

According to the internet. the backlash has already started for the return of She-Ra to our screens. 
If you're not a Beardy or someone who grew up with repeats on TV, then you may have missed She-Ra - an offshoot of the seminal He-Man and the Masters of the Universe that became it's own sensation.
There's a great doco on Netflix about it if you're a fan or would like a refresher, so check it out.
So, what do you think of the new look? After the success of the first couple of seasons of the new Voltron series (also by Dreamworks), could they have hit on another respectful relaunch?
Let us know what you think...

Rogue Trader - an iconic name and the very beginning of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe. We have seen Rogue Traders before in the RPG universe, and of course mentioned in the original WH40K rulebook - but now we have one in miniature form; this icon made manifest.. and what a clusterfuck it is! Weird flat minis, strange outfits that don't seem to fit into any form of the 40K universe we have seen, a crew member who looks like a lamp and a Rogue Trader who seems to be wearing a mosquito net over her face. If they were going to introduce Rogue Traders, then do this with respect for the canon, the universe, and the people who may have something invested in that name and that fluff that goes with it. Are there some highlights in this new Kill Team: Rogue Trader game? There's a cool dog and the infantry unit shows promise - but looking at the sprues some of them are barely two pieces. To go with this shitty release, there is of course themed dice sets - one for the Elucidian Starstriders and one for the Gellerpox Infected.
Away from broken dreams Made To Order have some really awesome Empire miniatures - King Louen Leoncouer, Ludwig Schwarzhelm and Kurt Helborg. These are beautiful and in stark contrast to whatever Kill Team: Rogue Trader is. Also in Made To Order, ​Dwarven heroes High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer and Thorek Ironbrow reappear, The Fay Enchantress (complete with grumpy unicorn) appears from the mists and the Seraphons Tehenhauin and Oxyotl beam down from their ship in stationary orbit.
Books next week bring us the Ciaphas Cain: Saviour of the Imperium (Omnibus), Warhammer Chronicles: Masters of Steel and Stone (Omnibus) and Carcharodons: Outer Dark in paperback.
Oddly last weekend, the Australian webstore did not offer any of the extras for the Reaver Titan that we had seen for the Warlord, so some time this week they obviously remembered and threw the Adeptus Titanicus Reaver Battle Titan Command Terminal Pack and Reaver Battle Titan Weapon Card Pack online. They are available, like the Reaver Titan, from today. 

Very exciting news this week - Dreamforge Games have released further details and new shots of their alien race, the Shadokesh.
These have been much anticipated and to finally see them is amazing. It seems that Mark, the creator of Dreamforge Games, is planning a small Kickstarter - just one kit at a time so it doesn't get too hectic - and he has a new manufacturer who is not backlogged with other projects like last time.
As big fans of Dreamforge - two Leviathan Crusaders and over a dozen boxes of infantry - we are absolutely behind this 100% and really looking forward to learning more about the release of these minis.
Dreamforge have also put up some background on the Shadokesh plus if you'd like to catch up on some of their excellent older releases, then they're having a Fathers Day Sale with over 60% off stock.
Check out the pics of the Shadokesh below including a great shot of the sprue. This is only two of the five minis expected in the set, but have a look at that awesome ball and socket elbow joint. So cool.

For us, the release of the new Adeptus Titanicus was going to be really good when two things happened - the Reaver and the Warhound - and today we have the mighty Reaver Battle Titan on it's way. This is a classic look, obviously directly from the larger Forge World model, but really not much changed from the original Epic scale kit. At almost half the cost of the Warlord, this is a good entry model for those flirting with this games system. Although this can be festooned in cables, they can also be removed to allow extra flexibility.
Next week also sees another Specialist Game, this time it's Blood Bowl and the Nurgle's Rotters team (and I know this comes as a shock) but these are really awesome looking models. There is of course a cool set of Nurgle Blood Bowl Dice, a Nurgle Blood Bowl Pitch and Nurgle Team Cards so you can field this team straight away! There's also an issue of Spike! dedicated to these rather unattractive lads (BTW, are there female Nurgle characters?).
In books, it's the return of Ciaphas Cain in Choose Your Enemies, there's an new audio drama The Key of Infinity with four short stories - plus next week is a White Dwarf week, which despite the Middle-Earth cover also boasts Kill Team: Rogue Trader and Hall of Fame with guest, Jes Goodwin. One to check out!

The trailer for Warhammer Quest Blackstone Fortress is interesting - instead of the usual skirmish scale minis or illustrations we get something larger; a huge object in space, with wrecked ships round it. Even the announcement points to something different;
"For years, you’ve clashed across the most war-torn battlefields of the 41st Millennium in hard-fought skirmishes and titanic conflicts – but the galaxy is a huge place, with many dark corners still to explore.
Just as Warhammer Quest allowed you to visit the sinister labyrinth of the Silver Tower and the bustling underworld of Hammerhal, now it will put you at the heart of one of Warhammer 40,000’s most enduring mysteries – a Blackstone Fortress.
Part role-playing adventure, part battle game, Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress promises a cooperative narrative experience in the 41st Millennium like no other – and will feature a host of stunning new miniatures that bring all manner of champions and villains from the lore to life as never before."

So could this in fact not be a game of 40K scale minis and in fact a game of ships captained by famed captains. Battlefleet Gothic not only had an RPG element to it but also a miniature representing the famed Blackstone Fortress, maybe this is how we will see it return?
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What do you think? Could this be another flash from the past like Adeptus Titanicus?

"You Shall Not Pass!" - well actually by the looks of this week's pre-orders, not only will you pass but any Lord of the Rings fan will likely explode with joy...
The release of the new boxed game Battle of Pelennor Fields will be the relaunch of the Middle-Earth range for Games Workshop.  A hefty box in it's own right, there are also new Games Rules, and the Armies of The Lord of the Rings 244-page book with all the army lists, heroes and scenarios. What would a release be without dice - we have One Ring Dice, Rohan Dice, Mordor Dice and the really odd Lord of The Rings Measurers. There's also the return of some great creature minis - the War Mûmak Of Harad, Winged Nazgûl, Balrog, Great Eagles, the Mordor Troll and an Ent. Along with the Fellowship Of The Ring set, there is a myriad of forces available - some webstore only, some at retail for the first time in a long time. There's also bundles for the factions as well, but you have your main factions and sub factions as well as mounted units. Really, it's a bonanza for long time fans and an great time for new players to a system that continually gets great reviews, certainly compared to other GW properties.
Away from LoTR to 40K, Kill Team has two new factions - The Slicing Noose – Drukhari Starter Set and Kill Team Mordelai – Deathwatch Starter Set, both coming with that god-awful Deathworld terrain. There are of course Kill Team Dice to go with them - the Drukhari and Deathwatch each get a set.
Book releases next week include the paperback version of Watchers of the Throne: The Emperor's Legion,  the Realmgate Wars Volume 2 Age of $igmar omnibus' and a look at Robot Girlyman's crusade across the galaxy with his Primaris Marines in Space Marine Conquests: Of Honour and Iron. GW haven't really been keeping us up to date with the crusade, rather concentrating on the integration of Primaris into the Chapters, but maybe this will give some clarity on who these heretical abominations are... I mean 'Defenders of Humanity Not At All Made Using Heretic DNA'.

How cool are Vikings? How much cooler would Vikings be if they were IN SPACE?? Well that must have been what was on the mind of Games Workshop all those years ago when they took the vague Nordic trappings given to the Space Wolves Space Marine Chapter and just went balls-to-the-wall with it. Pelts, big beards, axes, pelts made of bananas - oh it was a thing! Well with the newer version of 40K out, the venerable grumbly bearded ones have a new Codex, happily to coincide with possibly the most boring boxed set game GW have released all year - Tooth and Claw! Sure it comes with a cool new mini, Haldor Icepelt, a new Primaris Upgrade Sprue, a new Genestealer Cult Abominant and 5 new multi-part Aberrants... but are Genestealer Cults and Space Wolves really a god match - the Space Wolves would wipe these guys clean in an afternoon. Just doesn't ring true for us... Now, speaking of new, the Space Wolves Primaris Upgrade Sprue - not a single axe, only three heads (none of them a wolf) and some thankfully-not-banana pelts? It's pretty poor - compare it to the non-Primaris one - so much cooler! Anyway, for fans of the army, you finally get your Codex - both standard Horned Helm Edition and your deluxe Flaming Longship Edition. There are of course the Space Wolves Data Cards and Space Wolves Dice to go with it as well.
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Now here's the even weirder release for next week; when Death Guard were released for Nurgle there was a set called Plague Bretheren. It was a box of three mono-pose minis for pretty much the price of seven minis. It was supposed to be a deluxe set, that literally NO ONE BOUGHT, so it quickly went to Last Chance To Buy. Go and check, it's probably there now. Well, exciting news, those minis are back in different packaging and called Plague Marine Reinforcements. So if you desperately want to get some more Death Guard but would prefer to pay the same price for three minis as you would for seven, then you can go and buy this set... or wait until they're both in Last Chance To Buy.
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Books - we have a few - yes Age of $igmar's very own Undead bad girl is back with the new book Neferata: Mortarch of Blood. There's a new audio drama, Souldbound, centred around the Raven Guard and finally the Death Guard themed Lords of SIlence in both standard and beautiful Special Edition.

I haven't done many Terminators for the XIIth Legion War Hounds. Having spent so long formulating the markings for the MKII and MKIII armour, having to work out the Cataphractii pattern hasn't had much priority - but when I had a flash of inspiration the other day at work I had to get it out. Using the Praetor body, and Cataphractii Power Claw, and Goliath head and then adding extra armour to the hips via Goliath Shoulders pads, this guy fits the War Hounds look. The new shoulder pads are from MasterCrafted Miniatures, who we have bought quite a bit off - especially their excellent spikey shoulders, perfect for War Hounds!

This is the first time using two spiked shoulders, so I had to move the markings to the chest, which had the detail trimmed off. The Iron Halo on the top of the carapace is from a Stormcast and adds some height and rank to this important part of the army. Obviously the dedication to Volkite continues across the army and the colour scheme is basically an amped up version of the current Termies I have in the force.
This many metallics on one mini is unusual, but I think the balance is basically right.

It's been over a year in the making and after a hiatus of some decades. the Titan Orders can walk the field of battle in their full glory, banners unfurled with majesty and terrifying power. This is not a time for man, but one of machine!
Now with that being said, prepare to cough up because although this is a glorious addition to the Horus Heresy range (where are my plastic MKII Space Marines, GW?), there is a price. First up is the Adeptus Titanicus: Grand Master Edition, which is basically everything so far for $500AUD or just under $300 US. This is a limited edition and actually very good value as a bundle, but everything in it you can get separately - like the Warlord Battle Titan, who in and of itself is almost half the price of the Grand Master Edition. There's also the Adeptus Titanicus Imperial Knights, who come in a set of three for a pretty fair price. There is of course terrain with the Civitas Imperialis Sector and Civitas Imperialis representing the cities abut to be crushed by these engines of war. The Adeptus Titanicus: The Horus Heresy Rules Set can also be bought separately and includes small battlefield minis and, very weirdly,  the transfers for the miniatures...! There is of course the Warlord Battle Titan Weapon Card Pack to supplement the weapons options in the rules, plus webstore exclusive Warlord Battle Titan Command Terminal Packs and Axiom Battleline Maniple Command Terminal Packs. Now if you are one of the first 1000 people to order the Adeptus Titanicus: Grand Master Edition online, you will also receive an Adeptus Titanicus Collector's Coin.
Away from the tiny tiny glory of the Adeptus Titanicus are three dragons of old Made To Order miniatures - the classic Prince Imrik and Malekith the Witch King of Naggaroth models and a really cool one I hadn't seen before, The Sisters of Twilight on Ceithin-Har.
In books we have the paperback of Titanicus by Dan Abnett, the Servants of the Machine God anthology which includes a tonne of short stories centred around the Mechanicus, there's also two Age of $igmar books with the massive The Realmgate Wars: Volume 1 anthology and the Tainted Heart hardcover. There's also a very cool Horus Heresy novel out too; Garro - this is actually the full novelisation of Nathaniel Garro's story arc - both audio dramas and novella - plus new and extended scenes and new chapters. This seems like a must have for Horus Heresy fans!