Speaking of books, if you're in Australia or New Zealand, the Nachmund stuff and the following books will be all you're getting this week - more on that later! The Sisters of Battle-themed The Rose at War in hardback, a novel based on one of the best minis from the Ossiarach range is also coming with The Vulture Lord in hardback, the third book in the Vaults of Terra series, The Dark City in hardback, the novelisation of potentially Games Workshop's least successful boxed game relaunch, Dominion, is out in paperback, and the very reason to LOVE the Necrons (their character-filled novels) with the Twice-dead King: Ruin in paperback out and about!
Kill Team Nachmund was the first time we have seen Eldar Space Pirates since the very early days of Rogue Trader, the progenitor of Warhammer 40K. Like many, we jumped on the opportunity to have them in our mits... and they have sat in the boxed game in the hobby room ever since. So, Kauyon, you can avoid these budgetary flights of fancy and also enjoy the Corsair Voidscarred/ Corsair Voidreavers combi-kit in a much more measured way. Also from the Kill Team Nachmund boxed set you can get your hands on the Chaos Legionaries (with their cool upgrade sprue) and the Kill Team Nachmund rule book, all available separately in this week's pre-orders. Speaking of books, if you're in Australia or New Zealand, the Nachmund stuff and the following books will be all you're getting this week - more on that later! The Sisters of Battle-themed The Rose at War in hardback, a novel based on one of the best minis from the Ossiarach range is also coming with The Vulture Lord in hardback, the third book in the Vaults of Terra series, The Dark City in hardback, the novelisation of potentially Games Workshop's least successful boxed game relaunch, Dominion, is out in paperback, and the very reason to LOVE the Necrons (their character-filled novels) with the Twice-dead King: Ruin in paperback out and about! Unlike the rest of the world, well certainly the UK and US, there's two minis not available to the AUS/NZ market this week - the weirdly crab-like Vartijan Exo-Driller for Necomunda (it's growing on me though) and the new newly repackaged and consolidated Knight Questoris. This kit now comes with all the options to build one of the six Imperial Knight variants and also the Canis Rex pilot mini, which all in all is an awesome box and I'm sure highly prized by bitz collectors. By the look of the Armigers on the GW Webstore we may see those and the War Dogs in a similar style box soon too.
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As we calmly and patiently wait for the new paints to be released, and droll at the new Angron Demon Prince model, we have a weekend of Made to Order models - some good, some bad, but all "classic". Interestingly, the first one for today is a plastic mini, the more recent Chaos Exalted Champion, but he's not the only Chaos boy in town, the classic Tzeentch Sorcerers are back; the Chaos Space Marines Sorceror with Force Sword, Chaos Space Marines Sorceror with Force Axe, and the Chaos Space Marines Sorceror with Plasma Pistol. These are all good models, but isn't it interesting to see how far we have come. Building on last week's classic Blood Bowl, this week we also have some very old Skaven models. First up is Ikit Claw, a really great model, almost to the standards of modern sculpting, but the rest are definitely showing their age... Classic Thanquol and Boneripper, the Verminlord, Queek Headtaker, Deathmaster Snikch, and one of the strangest Skaven models from the past, the Plague Lord Nurglitch. In books we have the last Limited Edition; Helbrecht: Knight of The Throne. These Limited Editions are really beautiful, and this one has a lot of really nice thematic additions, like the colour of the page edges. It's always a big day when Games Workshop release a new batch of paints, and - $300 later - we too have dived headlong into the new range. The videos online have been interesting for this release, with mostly favourable comments about the consistency and vibrancy of the new range. Many people have concentrated on the new yellows, reds and purples that cover so well - a big change from the current paint range - but for us it's more about the new and reformulated Shades which off that pastel style so common in many European painter's play-book. If you hadn't noticed, by the way, this is a two week pre-order window so don't start priming expecting to have them next weekend! Let's start with the big attention getter for most in this release and that's the Contrast range, which promises better coverage and a more intense pigment; Garaghak's Sewer, Black Legion, Ratling Grime, Mantis Warriors Green, Aeldari Emerald, Gutrippa Flesh, Karandras Green, Striking Scorpion Green, Ironjawz Yellow, Bad Moon Yellow, Imperial Fist, Kroxigor Scales, Briar Queen Chill, Frostheart, Pylar Glacier, Asurmen Blue, Celestium Blue, Stormfiend, Leviathan Purple, Luxion Purple, Sigvald Burgundy, Dreadful Visage, Doomfire Magenta, Baal Red, Magmadroth Flame plus the reformulated Hexwraith Flame and Nighthaunt Gloom. The Shade range isn't as long, with a range that will be brilliant for subtle shading; Kroak Green, Poxwalker, Targor Rageshade, Mortarion Grime, Tyran Blue, Berserker Bloodshade and our favourite, the Soulblight Grey, which is dirtied up a bit could make an amazing change to many hobbyist's difficulty with doing a realistic white. The rest of the existing Shades range has also been reformulated, with the Gloss version of Nuln Oil, Agrax Earthshade, and Reikland Fleshshade, plus Cryptek Armourshade Gloss being discontinued. Also on the way is the new spray, White Scar, which promises less of the sandpaper finish and like the other Contrast sprays, a smooth even finish. They really are a big step up! Now if you want to get these in sets, plus a little bonus gift, then the New Contrast Paints & Mug and the New Shade Paints & Mug Bundles are for you! Away from paints, there a cool new decal sheet for the Thatos Pattern Hab Modules, so jump on these as they disappear! Now to the crappy, sorry CLASSIC, release of the week and it's the miniatures that back in the day tuned me totally off the idea of mutations, it's the Skaven Mutations and Chaos Mutations in Made to Order. However, on the positive side, there are the metal Blood Bowl Trophies which look really nice! Next week there's also White Dwarf 478. Hot on the heels of the Horus Heresy over the last few weeks, the children of the Heresy, the Chaos Space Marines return to the world of Warhammer 40K with their brand new Codex, which comes in Coming of the Dark Collectors' Edition and Horus is My Daddy Standard Edition. There's also the new Combat Patrol: Chaos Space Marines with the awesome CSM minis, Datacards and Chaos Space Marines Dice. The Horus Heresy Boxed Set is now being broken up so the elements can be bought separately. If you are looking at this, do the sums first, because the box is actually much better value overall. So this week you can get the Wish I'd Known About This Earlier Age of Darkness Rulebook Special Edition and the Magnus Did Nothing Wrong Age of Darkness Rulebook Standard Hardback. There's also the Legion MKVI Tactical Squad, available in a box of 20, or if you want something specific there's the Legion MKVI Heavy Support Squads and Legion MKVI Tactical Support Squads. There's also some older favourites from the first Horus Heresy Boxed Sets; Geigor Fell-hand and the Legion Cataphractii Praetor & Chaplain Consul. Like some added extras? Then there's two new Legion Dice sets for Imperial Fists and Sons of Horus. Some of the best minis in some years are the Genestealer Cults, and this week there's their new Combat Patrol, which is a great set. The next in the Primarch book series is here too, with Mortarion: The Pale King (Limited Edition) plus the hardback version of Ahriman: Eternal. Its' the big Heresy release today, but fear not combatants in the Age of $igmar and Necromunda also get some love this week... The release of a new Generals Handbook for Age of $igmar was once greeted with much fanfare, but maybe after the lacklustre release of Dominion, some of he wind has gone out of the sails - none the less the General’s Handbook – Pitched Battles 2022-23 Season 1 is out today along with some fun new stuff. Everyone's favourite tree-lovers, the Sylvaneth get their new Battletome, which comes in That's Not a Good Place for a Splinter Collectors Edition and Tree Rage Standard Edition. The Sylvaneth range is really stunning and very tempting, especially with the introduction of the new Sylvaneth Gossamid Archers, and the Spiterider Lancers/ Revenant Seekers combi-kit. Of course there are also Sylvaneth dice and Warscroll cards too. Meanwhile, away from the deadly forests, the deadly sewers and dark places of the world are inhabited by the Skaven, who get their new Battletome next week, coming in both Sewerage Toes Collectors Edition and Hoods are Totally In Right Now Standard Edition. These are supplemented by the new Vanguard: Skaven set, Skaven dice and Warscroll Cards. Hold onto your hats, those denizens of blood and spikes, the Daughters of Khaine are also here, with the God of Murder Collection which the new includes the new Vanguard: Daughters of Khaine, plus the Battletome, Warscroll Cards and Framed Daughters of Khaine art print. Speaking of Daughters of Khaine, the High Gladiatrix is now available separately to lead your forces into battle, or compete in a whip cracking competition... and she's not the only commander who benefits from the new General's Handbook - Auric Flamekeeper, Akhelian Thrallmaster and Scriptor Mortis are also available for the first time separately. That Thrallmaster is so awesome and again calls to me! But what about the Undead? Fear not followers of Nagash, your Vanguard: Nighthaunt is also on the way. Necromunda now enters a new stage, with the previously released Outlands sets being supplemented by the rules in The Book of the Outlands, which not only introduces the Ironhead Squat Prospectors but also vehicle rules. Vehicles - here's the Cargo-8 Ridgehauler Land Train, and what a beast it is. Now if you don't need the whole thing, then you can also get the elements, the Cargo-8 Ridgehauler, the Cargo-8 Ridgehauler Gunner Frames and the Cargo-8 Ridgehauler Trailer on their own. There's also Forge World's Vespa ‘Minx’ Merdena, Orlock Bounty Hunter on her bike and the Wy’tari Stormcaller desperately hoping no one brought any fly spray to the battle. Of course there are the Ironhead Squat Prospectors and House Orlock Gang Tactics Cards as well. "But I love 40K!", sweet summer child, you too get a little treat with the Chapter Approved – War Zone Nephilim: Grand Tournament Mission Pack incoming - but no new models for you! In books this week we have the Dark Imperium: Plague War in paperback, Prince Maesa in his first full-length novel and the Sabbat Worlds Anthology. As we wait for the Horus Heresy release next week, Games Workshop have finally listed the next Joy Toy action figures in the series. These have been available for some time at retailers, and cheaper I might add, so do look around and see the prices as they are very competitive compared to the ones listed today. I have had the Blood Angels Death Company Intercessors for a few months, and they're awesome. They pose nicely, they are very steady and the paint jobs are solid and very good compared to many other action figure lines around. If black isn't your thing, then you can go for the Ultramarines Intercessors and their witchy-poo Primaris Librarian. These really are worth a look, especially at other sellers. We can be pretty harsh to Games Workshop - the pricing, the shitty release weeks and the quality-sporadic designs - but to be fair to them, this Horus Heresy relaunch has been pretty perfect. Sure the wait time sucks, but the weekly teasers, the surprises and the amazing range of new plastic products is truly impressive. If you look at the breadth, this is well up there with any 40K or Age of $igmar release, and probably better executed. The thing that has stuck out to us has been the respect with which they have spoken to fans, old and new about the lore and the miniatures. There's not too much assumed knowledge to annoy the beardies and enough to excite new people. It's a very fine line to draw in this part of the hobby because, despite being pulled into the world of the Horus Heresy by Titanicus and Space Marine back in the late 80s and having stayed in touch with it all this time, even an old soldier gets attacked in the openly toxic Heresy Community. Even the stalwarts admit to the toxicity, and it sucks - especially having been around to see the lore change more than a few times. So many experts with such little time actually understanding the nuances. Anyway, again, well done to Games Workshop and Forge World for getting this all up and running. Forge World's deletion of products over the years has done a HUGE amount to make recasting mainstream, but Games Workshop seem to be bringing it back with these amazing new releases and some nice social media support. The Horus Heresy is here, so grab your wallet and dive in, because if you've picked your side, then there's bundles to save you time and scrolling for both Committed Loyalist or Fervent Traitor. Now the core The Horus Heresy – The Age of Darkness itself is a beast; 2 x Legion Praetors, 10 x Cataphractii Terminators (the older plastics), 40 x MK VI non-multi-pose Space Marines, a Contemptor Dreadnought, and a mighty Spartan Assault Tank. It also comes with the rulebook and some play aids. Fan of the background, lore and want to field units just for your Legion? Well the Loyalist Liber Astartes and Traitor The Liber Hereticus books not only have shared profiles for many units common to every Legion, but also unique rules for every Legion, including Unit Profiles, Warlord Traits, Rites of War, Wargear, Faction Abilities, and Unique Reactions (a new mechanic for Horus Heresy). On the miniatures front, there's two awesome weapon upgrade sets - the Legiones Astartes Special Weapons Upgrade Set for Legion Tactical Support Squads and the Legiones Astartes Heavy Weapons Upgrade Set (Missile Launchers and Heavy Bolters) for your Legion Heavy Support Squads. The nice things about both sets is they give you enough to actually arm full strength squads! Infantry need transport, and by the Gods Old and New, we finally have the Deimos Pattern Rhino in plastic. It's interesting it doesn't include the Cyclone Missile Launcher, so popular at the time, but this is a great looking kit! Transport aside, what else do massed Legions need? Big guns - and the new Kratos Heavy Assault Tank gives that in spades. Look at that Volkite bristling on the hull and turret... it's an expensive kit, but it's a beauty. The progenitors of the MKVI armour we see in the new Age of Darkness box are of course the venerable Mk III and MK IV armour types. Both seeing extensive service in the Horus Heresy and the Great Crusade, these sets now come in boxes of 20 miniatures to fit the maximum squad sizes for the Legions. Having build well over 50 of the MK III Tactical Squad and 20 of the Mk IV Tactical Squad, we can tell you these are excellent, multi-pose kits, and at the price, you get the extra 10 minis in each set for around 50% off. If the Thousand Sons are your bag, then Ahzek Ahriman is back available separately, and a nice mini too. You would have seen the new Forge World Sons of Horus and Imperial Fists Mk VI Heads and Shoulder Pads upgrade sets. These weren't listed in the GW pre-orders this morning, but were on the Forge World site, which wasn't what we were told a few weeks back. Go check out the Imperial Fists Mk VI Heads and Shoulder Pads upgrade sets over there, or of course you can check out the Sons of Horus Mk VI Heads and Shoulder Pads upgrade sets and know you picked the right side ;) Away from minis for a minute, there is much excitement about the return of the Forge World Legion transfers, and they come in each Legion flavour; Dark Angels, Emperor's Children, Iron Warriors, White Scars, Space Wolves, Imperial Fists, Night Lords, Blood Angels, Iron Hands, World Eaters, Ultramarines, Death Guard, Thousand Sons, Sons of Horus, Word Bearers, Salamanders, Raven Guard, and Alpha Legion. Now of course nothing says Legion loyalty like themed dice, and of course the old Forge World dice have reappeared in glorious technicolour. Blessed be your role for the Dark Angels, Emperor's Children, Iron Warriors, White Scars, Space Wolves, Imperial Fists, Night Lords, Blood Angels, Iron Hands, World Eaters, Ultramarines, Death Guard, Thousand Sons, Sons of Horus, Word Bearers, Salamanders, Raven Guard, and Alpha Legion. Want to know who was fighting where? Where to send your troops next? Well check out the Carta Galactica: The Imperium of Mankind map. There's of course some Heresy-themed books, Cthonia's Reckoning which comes in Special Edition and Hardcover and the anthology, Lupercal’s War which contains 21 short stories. Want to know where you're up to in one of these books? Well have a look at this totally over-the-top Horus Heresy Bookmark. There's generally a sweetener to the big launches, and if you order from the GW webstore, there's these tokens... an exclusive mini would have been cooler! In other mini releases this week, we have the very nice new Forge World Grimbeorn and the Beornings from Middle Earth. The promise of plastic Traitor Guard has LOOOONG been something the Community have asked for, and this week we get our first look in the new Kill Team boxed set, Moroch. It's Traitor Guard, who include the officer and Ogryn from the Blackstone Fortress set vs. Phobos Marines, who come with a new upgrade sprue. It also comes with the newest Imperial terrain, so really this is a pretty good set if you're a 40K player - especially if you plan on splitting it. The Guard haven't really had much love online, which is a shame considering how long we've waited. Also available separately this week is the Kill Team: Phobos and Kill Team: Blooded Dice Sets. The bigger release this week is the new Codex for Chaos Knights, which comes in Spiky Stomping Collectors' Edition and Toe Jam Standard Edition. Also on offer is the amazing Knight Abominant, a new War Dogs combi-kit that includes options to build the War Dog Brigands/ War Dog Stalkers/ War Dog Karnivores. The older War Dog Executioners/ War Dog Huntsmen combi-kit get a dusting off, and we see a reboxed Knight Desecrator/ Knight Rampager combi-kit. With the Codex comes the Datacards: Chaos Knights, but no dice this week. Necromunda terrain in flying our way, with the Ash Wastes box getting split to give us the Thatos Pattern: Extended Hab Module, Thatos Pattern: Hab Module and the Thatos Pattern: Platforms & Walkways which are all so so tempting for our ongoing terrain mission! Finally the Hive Fleet arrives for Australia and New Zealand as Codex: Tyranids arrives. Supplemented by the new Combat Patrol: Tyranids, Parasite of Mortrek, Datacards and Dice Set. Took them a while, but they are here! It sounds like a Death Metal album, and maybe it is, but this week it's all about the Echoes of Doom, the new Age of $igmar boxed set featuring Sylvaneth vs Skaven. In fact along with the boxed set there is also two collections, the Echoes of Doom-Doom – Skaven Collection (not sure if the second 'doom' is meant to be there, but it's listed so why not!) and the Echoes of Doom – Sylvaneth Collection. These come with extra minis and a print. The last Warcry boxed set has been broken up, and you can get your hands on one of the most unusual and dynamic forces GW have released for a while - the Tarantulos Brood, and the Robert E Howrad-esque Darkoath Savagers. There's also two terrain sets (almost identical) the Ravaged Lands: Pit Dredger Camp and Varanite Syphon Camp. In the world of Warhammer 40K in the meanwhile, another boxed set has been broken up, giving you the option to get the Adeptus Custodes Blade Champion (who comes with alternate heads and weapons) and the Reductus Saboteur (who has a scarred or non-scarred head option). Speaking of those golden boys, the new Combat Patrol: Adeptus Custodes is also on it's way. Books this week is The Horus Heresy Print on Demand Collection 10, which you can also buy individually if you like - all hardbacks too: Ruinstorm - Book 46, Old Earth - Book 47, The Burden of Loyalty - Book 48, Wolfsbane - Book 49, and Born of Flame - Book 50. Also in books this week, it's Godsbane in hardback. It's merchandise time, and here we have some little cuties from Semic, the Ultramarines Primaris Space Marine Helmet Keyring, the Blood Angels MKVII Space Marines Helmet Keyring and the Primaris Space Marine Metal Helmet Keyring. Interesting to see the MKVII in there, so maybe not all hope is lost after all. The Nighthaunt range just keeps getting better and better, and this week we see the pre-order for the new Battletome: Nighthaunt - in both Rattle & Bones Limited Edition and Bone-daddy Standard Edition. There's also a new character model, Awlrach The Drowner in a very small boat for a ferryman and some ranged troops that are absolutely awesome - the Craventhrone Guard, who unfortunately only come in a box of five. GW have also collected a few of the characters from previous releases to create the Ethereal Court, plus the Warscroll Cards and Nighthaunt Dice. The vicious death-dealers, the Daughters of Khaine also get their new Battletome - which comes in Crown the Queen Limited Edition and Razor-sharp Standard Edition. No new models, but there are Warscroll Cards, but no new dice. The Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game™ gets a new expansion with Defence of the North, which also includes narrative elements as well. No new minis, but yet again we get a deluge of old ones - Lake-town Captains, Easterling Mounted Commanders, some cool Easterlings Dice, Durbûrz & Grôblog, Goblin Kings of Moria, Ashrâk & Drûzhag, Goblin Shamans of Moria, Khazâd Guard, Moria Blackshield Warband, Captains of Erebor, Warg Marauder, Dragon, and the Moria Goblin Prowlers. In books this week we get the new Vincula Insurgency in hardback, and next week sees White Dwarf 476. Amongst the flurry of (the frankly disappointing) Warhammer Fest, the once-darlings of GW have returned - Knights! And not just any Knights, the Chaos Knights in a brand new Army Set which includes the Abominant (with the new Volkite combustor and an electroscourge flail) two War Dogs, the new edition of Codex: Chaos Knights with exclusive cover art, datacards and two transfer sheets. This is a big step up from the older Knight with a Chaos spiky sprue in the box! Now if your taste is more in the Imperial part of the galaxy, well you're in luck; Codex: Imperial Knights is here! Available in Stompy Stompy Collectors' Edition and Tally Ho Standard Edition, these add new rules and more to the battlefield monsters that are the Imperial Knights. There's also the Imperial Knights Datacards, but no dice for you. Also in Warhammer 40K-land, War Zone Nachmund: Rift War, as new "narrative supplement" (not sure they have used that term before) is here - in both Reign of Terror Collectors' Edition and Event Horizon Standard Edition. In books, your friend and mine, Old Kath gets a new tome, The Triumph of Saint Katherine in hardback, the paperback version of the Space Wolves The Helwinter Gate is here (just in time for it to get chilly in the southern hemisphere) and volume two of The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade in paperback arrives. We do wonder if Maleus Darkblade might get a shiny Collectors Set at some point... Necromunda has left the Hive and moved to the lawless lands beyond! Necromunda: Ash Wastes is the first Necromunda expansion to not take place in the alleys, tunnels and manufactoriums of the Hive itself, and it will be interesting how the community will take it! In essence they seemed to be after a Mad Max style aesthetic, but is that what they got? Time will tell, but the massive new box is certainly a standout. If you're just keen on the Nomads themselves, then you'll be happy to know that the Ash Waste Nomads War Party, the Ash Waste Nomads Dustback Helamites and the Ash Waste Nomads Gang Tactics Cards are also up for pre-order this week - a smart move by GW. Maybe not such a smart move is the inclusion of the Orlocks in the set. It absolutely goes with the background, but without fresh paintjobs, or alternative colour schemes, these minis look very out of place. Would be potentially be more interesting to have a new Gang or even a different type of Enforcer. Suffice to say, the Orlock Outrider Quads and Orlock Vehicle Gang Tactics Cards also come out this week if you want to add to your existing Orlock gang. Australasia doesn't get all the books this week - but we do get Penitent – Bequin, Book 2 in paperback, and the Carta Galactica map, featuring the Western Hemisphere of Necromunda. So what does the rest of the world get? The reissue of the Imperial Infantryman’s Handbook, the amazing looking Limited Edition Huron Blackheart: Master of the Maelstrom, and very oddly, the Forge World Orlock Upgrades. There's something very odd here. Forge World aren't in stores here - everything comes by mail - so why are these not released for Australasia? It's not like they have to be in the country...
This week is supposed to be Warhammer Underworlds: Nethermaze, and despite it being pictured on the webstore... the picture goes nowhere. This week sees the Australasian release of the Norse Blood Bowl Team. The team themselves, the Norsca Rampagers (who we are sure will appear in every Space Wolf army for the next year or so) are here, plus their handsome Team Dice Set and Team Card Pack. Want to play in the land of the ice and snow, well embrace the Norse Double-sided Pitch and Dugouts Set and get some more rules and background in the latest Spike! Journal Issue 14. In books this week, the saga of the Primaris continues with Dawn of Fire: Throne of Light which comes in Guilliman4Lyfe Special Edition or Spit and Polish Standard Edition. It's not always easy for the Angels of Death, so if you want to read a classic story of best intentions going astray, then the 20th Anniversary Edition of Soul Drinker will be for you. Plus this week sees the latest Gotrek Gurnisson novel, Soulslayer in Hardback. - This week also sees a massive culling of the Underworlds range, so if any of these speak to you, get them while they're hot! It's amazing how even after all these years the Sunday Preview still holds so much power on Warhammer Community - so much expectation and restrained excitement, only to be royally shat on when you scroll down to the very bottom to read this: "Unfortunately, these pre-orders will be slightly delayed in Australia and New Zealand – you’ll be able to pre-order your Norse teams from the 23rd of April" So while the rest of the world gets Norse Blood Bowl (which frankly does not entice personally), those of us down here who pay a premium on releases, get three books... three books. Surely the premium we pay is to make sure we get these things airfreighted and on time, otherwise what actually are we paying for? Here's an idea: dispatch them a week early - Hell, dispatch them a month early! It's frankly just poor service and especially while fans in this part of the world are STILL waiting for the Tyranid release. Surely Games Workshop don't receive and dispatch goods on the same week. Surely it's sitting in a warehouse waiting for it's release window. Got delayed at sea? Well fly some out, OR still put it on pre-order but tell us it's going to be a while longer. That's okay, we will wait, just give us the opportunity to feel included! With that out of the way late shave a look at what some of us get this week, then we'll move onto what others will get... Anyone who saw the original covers for the Bequin series will have to admit they are some of the best covers GW have produced in a very long time. Well on pre-order his week is the Special Edition version of Pariah – Bequin, Book 1, and it's another triumph! Also on pre-order this week is the hardback version of the Sigismund: The Eternal Crusader novel, which I have been told has an appearance by some of the War Hounds Legion! Very cool. And we also have the paperback of Traitor Rock. Now, for those in other parts of the world it's a pretty cool week for you - because the Norse have invaded Blood Bowl. with the Norsca Rampagers, Norse Team Card Pack, Norse Team Dice and double-sided Norse Pitch and Dugouts heading your way. There's also Spike! Issue 14 with all the tips, tricks and tactics to field the beer-fueled Norse.
Forge World have also come the party with the Yhetee and their champion Skrorg Snowpelt, plus some Norse star players, Thorsson Stoutmead and Ivar Eriksson. It's been a while since a War Hounds update, mainly because I wasn't very happy with the quality of the photos. So I jumped on Amazon and found some small cheap lights and thought I'd give them a go. This catch up shoot is as much a catch up as it is an experiment with light temperature. On the left is the War Hounds Destroyer, which I think has the temperature pretty right, unfortunately the rest don't quite achieve the same result - will keep experimenting - but it doesn't help I'm also using a phone camera, one suspects! It's also a very small set up and trying a black background instead of white or something else has taken it's time to try to work out. I'll leave the longer write up to the Project: War Hounds page, but here we have the ones I remember having not shown you. It's struck us this week that the new Seasons of War: Thondia and the upcoming Tyranid Codex and series of articles may have hit a Community at saturation point. From what we've seen, there really isn't any expectation or excitement, and then when you see this week's pre-orders (again stuffed with filler minis from LOTR and 'classic' Space Marine sculpts with poor paint jobs) it makes you wonder if the current strategy is working. Maybe less is more. Maybe having 15 releases this week could have just been four. Sure it only hits part of the market, but it makes it easier for people to be excited about the part of the hobby they really enjoy rather than seeing, frankly, fluff. If you compare this to the slow Thursday trickle of Horus Heresy previews which leaves people excited and wanting more, flooding social media with chat, then surely this is the best of these two strategies. This week sees the release of the next Seasons of War for Age of $igmar, Thondia set in realm of Ghur. Available in Sandy Booty Ass Limited Edition and Slippery Sandals Standard Edition, this expansion progresses the story of Age of $igmar further through the Age of Beasts. The first miniature set for this release is the Realmscape: Thondian Strongpoint, featuring a powerful entity, and terrain. Personally doesn't hit the spot for us, but the Cleansing Aqualith is a beautiful model. Now if you absolutely MUST have the cardboard playing board, then you can get those too with the Realmscape: Thondian Expanse. With the relaunch of Horus Heresy coming, GW are clearing out many of the classic Alpha-scale Space Marines. This week we have the excellent non-banana fur Space Wolves Captain, Big Plume himself the Dark Angels Captain, one of the best mini to turn into a statue the Ultramarines Captain, another great statue the Space Marine Captain with Terminator Honours, statue #3 the Blood Angels Captain, and the always mysterious armpit sniffer, the Veteran Captain (all of which are so important to the lore of 40K that they have been painted by the local primary school kids - bless them!). Do you love Lord of the Rings? Who doesn't? Did you miss the opportunity to buy classic Lord of the Rings miniatures despite them being available for 10-15 years? Well here's your chance - Attack at Weathertop, the frankly very cool The Fellowship of The Ring, Ambush at Amon Hen, The Battle at Khazad-dûm and Escape from Orthanc are available in Made To Order form this week. ... of some interest this week is the Last Chance to Buy on 40K terrain. Some classic and even newer pieces are either going away or being repackaged, so best check this out...
And while we're at it, most of the Horus Heresy range has disappeared form the GW webstore. Probably just for repackaging, but be interesting to see if they scale up the Cataphractii and Tartaros Terminators. The MKIII is still there, so fear not!! If there were ever any doubt that Nagash rules the roost, then the new Arena of Shades box proves it in spades (or should I say 'shades'). Sure you get some old Witch Elves, but you get the new Scriptor Mortis and Craventhrone Guard minis to add to the already bursting Nighthaunt range. The range is now huge, and pretty much every unit is a winner in terms of miniature design. They're all so very tempting... Over in the land of 40K, meanwhile, we get some new solid STC-style terrain in the form of Battlezone: Fronteris – Nachmund. Pretty pricey set, but if you like it all, this box will save you money overall. The components are available separately, so you can get the Fronteris – Landing Pad, Fronteris – STC Hab-Bunker and Stockades, Fronteris – Vox-Antenna and Auspex Shrine or the Fronteris – Battlefield on their own. Not sure why the cardboard base is $100+, but there you go. We've seen some awesome new Eldar stuff over the past few weeks, well Made To Order is happy to take you down memory lane with some classic sculpts - Death Jester, Shadowseer, the Farseer with Singing Spear, Farseer with Staff and Shuriken Pistol, the tiny old heroic-scale Farseer with Singing Spear and Shuriken Pistol, the Autarch with Banshee Blade and the Autarch with Dragon Fusion Gun, plus the Harlequins Troupe. All yours for a limited time only. In books this week, it's the paperback version of Warhawk – The Horus Heresy: Siege of Terra Book 6. Few merchandising things too, the Abysse Corp Warhammer 40,000 Indomitus Mug and Warhammer 40,000 Blood Angels Mug. Something to truly drive away your work crush by flagging your geekdom! The Aeldari wave continues, and this time they get to bring a God to the tabletop. The mighty Avatar of Khaine (coming in at 13cm high) will dwarf many of the humanoid constructs on the battlefield, and even the Knights and Titans face a fearsome adversary in his presence. f you're an Aeldari fan, then you must love Aspect Warriors, and here are the noblest of them all, the new Shining Spears. Running up a huge laundry bill, you can see the sleek forms of their bikes are in contrast to the shorter Shroud Runners, and less spiky than the Dark Eldar Reavers. This week sees the individual release of the very flexible and kitbash-friendly Autarch, the new Rangers who hold so much of the Eldar in their poses, and the afore mentioned Shroud Runners. These are all glorious minis and great to be able to get them separately. The new Combat Patrol: Aeldari is also out, with a selection of older and new models to start a force with. There's also a new Warhammer 40K Mission Pack on it's way, Tempest of War offering new missions for Matched Play. In books, we have the new Assassinorum: Kingmaker in hardback, offering a very literal illustration of Assassins vs Knights, and the paperback of the latest Iron Snakes novel, Urdesh: The Serpent and the Saint. OPINION PIECE Well here we are, the very much anticipated and pained-for announcement on the Horus Heresy... An absolutely spectacular trailer by Games Workshop, truly some of the best work they have done in recent years in terms of supporting a games system. The trailer is full of little hints at vehicles to come - the Sicaran with single cannon is but one - epic warfare that we have all wanted to se, and in mind-blowing scale. Not only that, but having The Warmaster himself be the conduit for us to enter this world is so clever and doesn't define the good or evil at this point - everyone is a hero! And then of course there is this glorious update to the venerable MkVI Space Marine armour. For those of us who started back in the late 80s, this is everything we saw when we constructed that early plastic boxed set. Don't get me wrong, we are very happy to criticize GW when they do something wrong, but with this miniature everything is RIGHT! Will there be some scale-creep? Probably. Will it matter? Maybe, but this miniature is actually perfect. Let me explain: - Thematic pose - Correct gun discipline with the finger placement - Rebirth of the classic bayonet - The segmented toe area harking back to the old metal miniatures - Return of bonding studs that are actually round - A small update to the classic backpack. We're all for respectful feedback to GW about things they may have missed, done in a silly way or even completely balls-ed up. this trailer, this miniature is not the place. But unfortunately, social media is a place where everyone's opinion is equal, even those ill-informed with no real understanding that this universe existed before they started playing the game. Their is a history, their is ample evidence that MKVI armour was in fact used in the Horus Heresy. Was it as wide spread as MKII, or MK IV? Maybe, maybe not. But the fact is, for over 30 years, MKVI armour has been depicted in GW art as being in the Horus Heresy. It is unequivocally there! I used the term "unfortunately" earlier in terms of equal weighting in social media, and I'm sure that may have caused some to stir, but this fantastic preview has brought out a part of this community that others point to all the time; the toxicity. Within minutes, hours, there were posts about how this is retconning, how this wasn't factual - vitriolic posts proclaiming special knowledge and opinion as fact. Arguments even. We live in a post-Trump world of true facts and false facts - well facts are facts and the evidence is there, so how about we all calm down, enjoy this awesome video, get excited to see what's coming very soon and just be pleased we have PLASTIC Horus Heresy. I am so excited to make the new kits, put paint to plastic and create, let my imagination run wild and get completely absorbed in these new minis. A plastic Spartan? A plastic Phobos Land Raider? A plastic Deimos pattern Rhion? Yes, this is what we have been asking for for over a decade, so how about giving GW credit and stop spewing venom around and proving the rest of the hobby right about the toxicity of our small pocket of this much much larger hobby. The Imperium's main weapon of xenophobia get's a pump this weekend, with the new Combat Patrol: Grey Knights plus a brand new plastic mini of their main-man, Castellan Crowe with his in-no-way-demonic sword, and alternate helmeted head. Bringing back memories of one of the largest faction releases to date (potentially beaten by the constant flow of new Nurgle minis) Tzeentch has reinforcements with the new Combat Patrol: Thousand Sons and Wizard Supreme, the Infernal Master who comes with no alternative parts except for a weirdly short right arm. Castellan Crowe's proportions seem off too actually. Be nice to have had the Codex for each faction out this week, but alas. The cover of the older Thousand Son's one is a beauty! Now books this week, we have Catachan Devil in paperback. Catachan's have been getting a bit of a run recently, I think we might be getting some updated minis, especially with the recent previews coming from GW showing what is clearly a Rough Rider lance, and earlier a Kasrkin wrist. Also in books we have Dark Imperium (yawn!) in paperback and the paperback of A Dynasty of Monsters which features Lauka Vai, Mother of Nightmares on the cover. These minis seemed to come and go from the spotlight pretty quickly which is sad. - There's also a huge cull of older models, especially Alpha Space Marines, so go check out Last Chance To Buy and grab what you need while you can. - Now, on with some Forge World shenanigans... Oh Forge World - leave the old Alpha Space Marines alone! Now we see Red Scorpions Casan Sabius and Sirae Karagon - Regents of the Ordon Rift and Magister Sevrin Loth Chief Librarian of the Red Scorpions with Honour Guard getting culled and heading towards Last Chance to Buy. Not only that, but Lugft Huron Chapter Master of the Astral Claws is also on his way out. Interesting correlation between these minis is that they all were part of the Badab War. I wonder with the Horus Heresy winding down if we will see the Badab War come back. That would be very cool!
Other things on the block include the Damocles Command Vehicle (which would be an easy alternative build in the Rhino kit, lets be honest) and the armoured Land Speeder Tempest. If that floats your boat, have at it!! The Regents set is really nice and has lots of kitbash pieces that will be missed from the universe for sure. |
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May 2024
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