Blog Archives

White Dwarf #83 - Optimus' Brother & Citadel Paints Go Air!

29/8/2015

As we know, White Dwarf can be hit and miss, but if you get it via subscription in the mail or the App, it's an expense you wear because it's your weekly fix and that's that!
When you actually have to go out and physically get it, buying White Dwarf takes on a different view...
Now usually I go to my local GW which is only 15 minutes walk, so it's annoying if the issue is crappy, but not awful. Well today, my friend, my local GW didn't get their shipment, so I had to do the usual walk, then catch a train, do another walk and then the return trip just to get the White Dwarf - so this issue has higher than normal expectations... but does it deliver?
With last week's Chaos release in Warhammer Age of Sigmar, this week it's back to the 'good guys' - Optimus' brother, Celestant-Prime. "Till All Are One!" *dust in my eye*
This issue also sees the launch of the Citadel Air range that has been HAMMERED online for the price. Personally I think it's try before you buy, so will reserve judgement.
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What's Going On With The Dark Eldar?

26/8/2015

Any followers of the Dark Eldar will tell you that they have taken a bit of a hit in recent years with only a small refresher recently - in fact there seems to be little love at GW for a nemesis that could really be the big baddie in the Warhammer 40K universe.
If you look at the 40K section of the Games Workshop site it is dedicated by this big splash page on the Dark Eldar - odd for a race that looks unlikely to get anything new any time soon.
Then when you look at the webstore, there are a number of Temporarily Out Of Stock notices on a few of their core units. The characters have been website exclusives for a while now, but when core units (like the Reavers and Incubi) not only become webstore exclusives but are also Temporarily Out Of Stock the conspiracy theorist in me worries about the future.
With 30K about to enter the stores, will the Dark Eldar also be casualties alongside those little Hobbits?

... aaaah Reavers - how I love you so! Great models!!

White Dwarf #82 Review - Chaos Gets A Dream House!

22/8/2015

Ever since we first saw the Blood Warriors in the Age of Sigmar Boxes Set, they have become the favourite of many of us. The new take on Khorne Berserkers was a big update to the older look and the thought of having multi-part multi-pose versions was pretty exciting. Well this week in White Dwarf we get to learn and see a lot more, and it's good!
Not only is there the Blood Warriors, there is also the huge release; the Chaos Dreadhold - and by huge, it's not only a big release, it's physically large too!
There hasn't been a castle for many years and this Chaos-branded one is certainly incredibly detailed but also a challenge to painters everywhere with a lot do be done. Time will tell if this is a Games Workshop kit or one of the Chinese manufactured ones that aren't really of the same quality. From the sprue shots it's looks like standard GW product which is a relief.
Is this issue worth getting, or like last week, is paint better value?
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Kitbashing: Frostgrave & Perry Miniatures - The Mix Works!!

19/8/2015

Ever since our review of the Frostgrave Soldiers Plastic Boxed Set we've had feedback through the site and the Facebook about the lack of weapons variety in the set. With 20 figures that was always going to be a challenge and for the most part this is an excellent box - BUT here's a way to give your Frostgrave soldiers just a little bit more thanks to the excellent Perry Miniatures plastic medieval kits! If you're not familiar with the Perry's they are two brothers who shot to fame making the original Bretonnians (among other things) for Games Workshop. They were some of the best minis GW have ever produced, so when the Perry's left to form their own miniature company it was always going to be quality!
Who knew by swapping some parts this would happen?

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White Dwarf #81 Review - "My, What Big Horns You Have!"

15/8/2015

Tell you what - the other Gods of Chaos must be getting mighty jealous of Khorne these days with the amount of love the super-agro deity has been getting.
This and last year have seen multiple Khorne releases, while Nurgle comes in at second, Tzeentch and Slaanesh don't even get in the race - in fact the new kid on the block, The Rat King, is probably up there challenging Nurgle for second place.
This week sees the preorder for The Exalted Deathbringer, a likely lad with an eye for blood and a head full of horns that would make any Beastman jealous. Speaking of which, have you noticed a distinct lack of Khorne-aligned Beastmen? Why?? Where did they go? Surely not all to Nurgle...
This week also sees Nurgle get another run, the Forge World Chaos Imperial Knight... & that's about it!
Is this worth a buy?
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Like Frostgrave's Soldiers Set? Well There's More On The Way!

15/8/2015

Just a matter of weeks after we reviewed North Star Figures Frostgrave Soldiers Boxed Set, they have unveiled details of the next plastic boxed set. - this time it's the Frostgrave Cultists!
Though there are only a few details, NickNorthStar over on Lead Avdentures forum spilled the beans ahout what to expect:
There will be a frame of 5 bodies (not split torsos) with separate heads and weapon arms.
The heads and weapons are all trying to look evil, with lots of chains and skulls and a vial with something nasty in it etc. This time though there isn't as much arm variant, there are more hand variants. So you'll have to cut a hand off the left arm to glue a different one on.
There will be enough weapons to make two warbands out of the Cultist box set to accompany your wizard. All the heads and arms are inter-changeable with the Frostgrave Soldiers boxed set one, so you can use some of the spare arms from your Soldiers box set to give more variety to your Cultists and vice-versa.
There are also 4 undead heads and 3 sets of Undead arms on the frame as well so you can turn your plastic Soldier or Cultist into a Skeleton or Zombie!
The tentative release date is the 20th of November 2015

New Forge World Site Is LIVE!!

14/8/2015

It's up - it's Live - it's happening!
Forge World's new webstore is now active and should look very familiar to you, because it sports the same interface as the current Games Workshop webstore.
Not only is the webstore now active - there is a pretty damn cool exclusive miniature to order too! Sporting all the details of a veteran of the Great Crusade, this Space Marine Legion Centurion is... well ugly in a very Space Marine kind of way. His armour also has some interesting additions to his MK III armour, one of which is that rather glorious looking Raptor Imperialis on his shoulder...

White Dwarf #80 Review - Chaos & Stormcasts Explained!

8/8/2015

With the last month being completely taken up with Sigmar's forces in Warhammer Age of Sigmar, we finally get a look at some of the forces of Chaos - the Bloodreavers!
Having seen the awesome miniatures in the boxed set I had pretty high hopes for this multi-part kit, and in some ways it delivers, other ways it really doesn't...
Issue 80 has a few other interesting articles including how the Stormcast Eternals are made, live, fight and die. This is surprisingly in depth and ushers in some of the Realmgate Wars story dynamics. This may have been covered elsewhere, but having not bought the big book, this was a first for me.
Armies on Parade 2015 gets an update which is a nice surprise. Last time White Dwarf kind of dropped the ball on this section so here's hoping it will get a healthy update each week, Always good inspiration.
So - is this issue worth buying? Do you NEED it?
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Frostgrave Soldiers Plastic Boxed Set Review

8/8/2015

Frostgrave soldiers review

If you're a bit of an old school fantasy nut, then you'd be very familiar with the idea of the questing party. Usually led by a wizard or a mage of some sort, these rag-tag parties head out on a quest to find a magic ring, stop a skeleton army from rising from the grave, rescue a princess or destroy a huge orbiting battle station... maybe not the last bit, but that's the general idea!
While other companies are intent on making large armies for you to collect, the nice people at Osprey Games and North Star Miniatures have decided to go a little smaller and concentrate on these small questing parties, with their Wizard and Apprentice, Specialist Soldier and Bestiary sets to compliment the Frostgrave game which revolves around these wizards and questing parties looking for artifacts in the frozen ruins of an ancient city. You play the wizard who, along with his Apprentice, can hire a dozen or so mercenaries to provide the much needed muscle to any quest - and that's where we pick up the story with the Frostgrave Soldiers Boxed Set.
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A Dark Elf By Any Other Name Should Be So... White?

4/8/2015

It's in the name "Dark Elf" isn't it? All clad in black and dark colours, but why not try something completely new?
I absolutely love the Dark Elves, more correctly I love the Dark Elves that were released in 2013 - they are amazing models full of character and menace, very much like their 40K cousins the Dark Eldar (All Praise Jes Goodwin).
I was thinking about this recently and the idea of a white Dark Elves unit, at the time specifically for a cabal of Dark Elves living in a snowy region.
My previous Dark Elves have been very black - what one reader called "Batman Black" - with subtle highlighting and deep blacks to make them very formidable looking.
The idea of a white Dark Elf was the exact opposite and quite a challenge when I actually sat down with the excellent Black Guard of Naggarond model and started.
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Warhammer Visions 19 Review - LOTS of Armies & Not Terrible!

1/8/2015

With such a massive month of primarily Warhammer Age of Sigmar releases, Warhammer Visions this month had the potential to really show off, really stand out, take a leap from some pretty poor months recently and almost relaunch in honour of Warhammer Age of Sigmar - but did they?
In the past Warhammer Visions has had the problem of sometimes being too obsessed with one large release - the Tyranids and Dwarves were a prime example of how this went horribly wrong. However it has also worked well at times - the Imperial Knights issue particularly was full of great new content and some of the best photography we have seen. There have been other issues of similar quality, but it stands out particularly.
In this issue Games Workshop have not been entirely obsessed with Age of Sigmar (unlike White Dwarf) and really only dedicated the New Release section & Paint Splatter at the end.
But - is the issue any good and why so many armies?
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White Dwarf #79 Review - Terrain, The Undead & Hammer Time!

1/8/2015

The Warhammer Age of Sigmar plows on with more of Sigmar's forces - this time the Paladins!
It's an interesting choice by games Workshop to have spent the last weeks concentrating entirely on one force, and particularly since they look so similar. You'd wonder whether a staggered release with good guys one week, then bad guys the next and so on, would keep the buzz alive a little more. The initial buzz about Age of Sigmar seems to be fading somewhat with the initial run on product in the stores now slowing down and less and less of the tables at stores have people painting them.
The relaunch was a brilliant idea, but has it been handled well? I'm personally sick of gold on the cover!
This week also sees the introduction of two brilliant looking pieces of terrain, the Sylvaneth turn up and we if The End Times wasn't enough for you, we look at the Undead!
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In a time before 40k, there was a band of men and women who took part in gaming without the corporate sensibilities of today. Take a step back with us and also look upon the future through wizened eyes and curious ponderings of The Beardy Hammer!

From Commercial Radio salary slave, to gamer and toy collector (no MIB for this little black duck, thank you), find here my meanderings!

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