Category Black Library

Warcry has returned with Red Harvest with two new Chaos warbands- Darkoath Savagers and The Tarantulos Brood!

In the first official release for Warcry in 2021 Games Workshop brings us Red Harvest, however this is not the only taste of Warcry this year. In at least a couple issues of White Dwarf we have received some cards of newer teams ready to play, for example check out issue 467 which included rules and printable cards for the new troops from the Dominion starter. This is the third starter box that has been released for Warcry and is also part of the same edition. The only difference in these rulebooks is that with each starter the rulebooks have been updated with most recent changes from the FAQs/Erratas. Of course the only real exception there is that there are new abilities for the two new warbands.

As with both the original Warcry and Catacombs, Red Harvest features two new warbands that follow the gods of Chaos. The first are the Darkoath Savagers. The look like a cross between the Spire Tyrants and the classic Chaos Marauders. The second is entirely unique and they are the Tarantulos Brood. Their goal is to mutate themselves into arachnid hybrids, their limbs and eyes matching the number of realms and points on the symbol of Chaos.

Now what Warcry starter box would be complete without some new terrain? This box features some of the most awesome sets released yet. These pieces are centered around abandoned mines that once used to pull Varanite from the ground and alone make me want to get a second box just to get even more creative with the mine cart tracks and the sluices.

Overall I think this box has significant value, great looking models and terrain, all the tokens and cards needed to play and it remains one of the best games I’ve ever played.

First announced at Gen Con but now the Khorne Skull-tribe Slaughterers have arrived for Blood bowl!

Blood Bowl remains the only sports game of any type I have ever been interested in and the only tabletop sports game I have played. For a game with blood in the name though there is just not enough representation for Khorne, the blood god. Apparently Games Workshop agreed because not only did they release the Skull-tribe Slaughterers, they also sent us a review set to try on the pitch! The very first team I played with the original edition of the game was the original metal team for Chaos and I had painted them to be followers of Khorne. Sadly they did not survive my move to Arizona in ’98. Games Workshop already released two other Chaos themed teams but this is the first that is Khorne specific. Of course my memory of the original game is quite limited and there may have been a Khorne team there and I’ve forgotten but none that my Google skills have found. reference

What makes this team stand out, other than playing dirty, is the fact that they play to win. Not in a sense of achieving victory but because the better they rank then the better foes the fight. Those better foes mean a more glorious kill in the name of their god Khorne.

Here’s how to boost your team using Games Workshop:

This pitch seems to have disappeared from the store itself but I suspect it will return. It is also a must for any Khorne player. This is aesthetics only, no benefit in the game comes from home turf other than a morale boost for the player. Who wouldn’t want to see their opponent squirm looking at this board?

These cards are not entirely essential but to streamline the game the sure as hell are, plus the dirty play cards aren’t found anywhere else I’ve noticed.

Themed dice are always a win in my book but if you’re on a budget they are not necessary. Rumors are that they roll better though…

This was the first issue I’ve ever looked at of Spike and I was amazed at how awesome this is. If you are playing with a team that does not come from a core box then you need this supplement for both the rules and details about the characters. It even has a sample roster for newer players!

How to boost your team with the help of Forge World:

Check out the Bloodspawn- what Khornite coach would not want this monster of a star player. The sculpt alone is intimidating.

For coaches looking for a more unique team can order the Team Booster as well. No special stats, just unique models.

Enter Scyla Anfingrimm, another Bloodspawn but one of the most dynamic and amazing Blood Bowl models I have ever seen. I mean look at that Wood Elf player he’s smashing!

Lastly we have Max Spleenripper. If his name didn’t tell you everything you needed to know then the model itself will. I have never seen a Blood Bowl player with a chainsword, let alone anyone in the Warhammer Fantasy or Age of Sigmar realms.

With the exception of the Forge World items we were able to receive a review copy of this team and out of the three teams we currently have these are by far our favorite.

Warhammer Underworlds returns for another season with Harrowdeep and this time you take the fight under the waves.

Taking place in the Realm of Shadows, Harrowdeep takes players to a maze beneath the sea. Xandire’s Truthseekers face off against the Da Kunnin Krew but will later be joined by others. Take your existing warband or one of these new ones under the Shadowsea for a competitive experience like no other (with the exception of previous iterations of Warhammer Underworlds). With the original announcement we also learned that there will be two core sets released each year going forward, two additional warband releases and with them a new rivals format to the game.

Here is the official roadmap for Harrowdeep (hint the first warband is pirates):

As mentioned above the Q1 warband is a pirate themed Destruction warband and nothing officially is known about the Q2 warband. If the image is anything to go on I suspect whatever faction they are will have lightning based abilities. The obvious answer is likely another Stormcast Eternals warband but I think we will see something more unique, perhaps a Tzeentch warband or even better would be a Cities of Sigmar warband with a wizard of some sort (with a lightning spell or two).

What is Rivals?

Rivals is a new way of playing the game without all the deck building mechanics. Essentially this is to allow players to dive right in with their new warbands immediately after they are built using a predefined deck. The focus is to allow newer players to jump in without having to search for years of cards to build their decks. Personally I’ve always played this way because when reviewing I play the game with the prebuilt decks in the box. Those that play in the Championship format will still be able to build their decks as they did before, just not as part of the Rivals style of the game.

Overall thoughts:

To start with I must admit this box was provided to us by Games Workshop for the purpose of this review but their generosity has no bearing on our opinion. With the somewhat recent release of Dominion I have learned to really enjoy the Stormcast Eternals faction and absolutely love Kruelboyz. The sculpts in this box are fantastic for both factions and the box is worth picking up for those alone. Additionally the new map boards are gorgeous. Gameplay has been tweaked slightly for the new realm and the double support rolls on defense dice when standing in a Gloom token means that you will have a better chance of survival with the weaker warbands. The addition of Grand Alliance cards is a HUGE bonus for those with other warbands and making some of the upgrades leave upon injury adds further complexity to the game. Personally I can’t wait for my next game as I plan on trying out either my Soulblight Gravelord Vampires or my Slaves to Darkness warband in the new setting. The only thing I am disappointed in with this release is that this is the first that did not have an accompanying novel from Black Library. Time will tell if we will see one over the next year but I sincerely hope we do.

Aeronautica Imperialis returns with Wrath of Angels, the third boxset for the current edition and first to feature Aeldari and Adeptus Astartes.

The previous edition of Aeronautica Imperialis was released about this time last year and unlike other Games Workshop IPs it appears we will only be seeing a single full box release each year. Wrath of Angels focuses on a fight between Aeldari (commonly referred to as Eldar) and Adeptus Astartes (commonly referred to as Space Marines). Like each of the other full starter releases we get two ship types for each faction, this time with the NIghtwing, Phoenix Bomber, Xiphon Interceptor and the Storm Eagle Assault Craft. The folks at Games Workshop sent us an advanced copy for the purpose of this review and as always this guarantees we will share our opinion but not a specific opinion.

For the most part gameplay is the same as before (this rulebook features the latest FAQ items in it over previous releases) but adds a few new abilities that are exclusive to the new factions. One ability is Jink, it allows a ship to defy the laws of physics and move one space in any direction before the targeting phase. In most games you cannot negate a natural max roll on the dice but with the Holo Field you can! With the Techmarine you can heal a ship once per game.

The only complaint I really have about this box is that it is the third (out of three) full release featuring a faction from the Imperium of Man. There seems to already be an oversaturation of these factions. That being said I understand the reasoning, Imperium models sell quite well and as a business I would put the primary focus on the groups that would see the most sales.

Overall this is same amazing ship warfare game we have seen with some minor twists and new ships to build and paint. For fans of the either faction and of AI this box is a must have!

Welcome to the another installment of a our series where we will be focusing on one of the exclusive Chaos Warbands from Warcry. This time we will be discussing the Scions of the Flame!

 With this year’s Gen Con Games Workshop announced a new Warcry release I decided it was time to return to our warband focus series, starting with the Scions of the Flame. The Scions are a group of fire obsessed zealots that hail from the realm of Aqshy. Each Chaos warband follows a unique aspect of the Chaos gods and the Scions are no different, they worship the Ever-raging Flame, hunting and eating the hearts of fire-beasts. This allows them to become the embodiments of the Flame. 

They are protected by gear designed to withstand the flame, except for the Immolators who like to catch themselves on fire and charge their enemies like a living fireball. Their playstyle is meant to resemble a spreading fire that turns into an inferno, building in intensity and destruction as they overtake the field of battle. Their level of damage output is much higher than most of the “tough” enemies, utilizing explosives and weapons covered in flame. Of the models the Immolator and the Brazen Champion really make this warband standout with flame covered action poses. On appearance alone the Scions of the Flame are my favorite warband so far released and with their flame based abilities it was like this warband was made specifically for me.

Games Workshop has released a new version of Kill Team with Octarius and they sent us a copy for the purpose of reviewing it along with the Compendium.

Kill Team is essentially the skirmish version of Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000. Players take small squads of fighters, or even a smaller and more elite force and battle for objectives or simply to eliminate the other team (this is my preferred way to play any tabletop game). Officially this is the fourth edition of the Kill Team game type but the second as a standalone title. The points systems are vastly different than your standard game of 40k but very similar in nature to that of Warcry in relation to Age of Sigmar. Now the first three editions also differed in points values when compared but this is the first to be more in line with Warcry.

Teams are comprised of roughly 1000 points and depending on the faction will determine how many models you will be using, for example, Adaptus Mechanicus will typically have more troops on the map than Astartes. Another big difference between this version and previous iterations is that the list building is much more limited this time around. For Kill Team I suspect this is to better control balancing for the game, possibly to minimize some of the min/maxing that some players do to give their play style an advantage. With the new limitations on list building I think this is a huge improvement because I like having a variety on the field of battle and like to fight a variety.

Overall I found this to be a great introduction game to the world of Warhammer 40k and in the smaller scale makes trying new armies much easier and way cheaper. The new models for both Orks and Astra Militarum are some of my favorite for both factions, especially the bomb squid. He is legit the first time I have said a squig was adorable. At the time of writing this we have already seen the announcement for Kill Team: Chalnath and features new Tau Pathfinders and Adepta Sororitas models along with some familiar looking terrain. I can’t wait to see what other exclusive models will be coming with each new kill zone! This is a fantastic starting point for anyone looking for a new army or to add to an existing army.

Necromunda has been one of those games that will always hold a special place in my heart. Thanks to Games Workshop we have the opportunity to dive back into the underhive.

This is not the first time we’ve delved into the world of Necromunda, nor the first time we’ve received review materials from Games Workshop. As with any other item we’ve received the shared opinions are not influenced by the source. This isn’t the only Necromunda item we received either- we were sent a copy of the House of Blades and the Mercator Nautica Syphoning Delegation from Forge World and we will be discussing them each!

Hive War

Hive war includes two full gangs (House Escher and House Delaque), a full set of objective tokens and additional Zone Mortalis terrain. For both gangs these are the same as can be found in the normal gang boxes. Objective tokens are the same as the original Second Edition boxset as is the Zone Mortalis terrain. Each of the items in this box can be ordered separately but you are getting them at a discount getting them boxed together. The only difference in this box is that the rulebook is updated to include all FAQ changes prior to the book’s printing!

Set in the Warhammer 40k universe, Necromunda is a hive planet that produces munitions for the Astra Militarum. The planet is covered in massive hive cities but below these are the homes and territories of numerous gangs, most of which have aligned themselves to one of the major house- Escher, Delaque, Goliath, Orlock, Cawdor and Van Saar. Each house operates under strict morals and rules that members must abide by.

Gameplay is as solid as before- when you played with the FAQ rules previously there is no transition to the new rulebook. This is not a new edition, just an updated printing. Any chance at more terrain, models I don’t have, more objectives and additional models for your favorite faction is a win for sure and for me this box has that in spades. Escher have always been my favorite House to play so additional models are great as that will allow me to try some new load outs that will also appease the WYSIWYG crowd as these will already have the weapons.

House of Blades

In addition to containing the most up to date lore on House Escher, House of Blades features rules for the main fighter types- Queens, Matriarchs, Death-Maidens, Wyld Runners, Sisters, and Little Sisters. Additionally you will find rules for the various abilities or weapons used by this House and even how to hire the various brutes and thugs. This includes how to hire the Syphoning Delegation as well! This book is a must for fans of House Escher or any other House that wants to know more about their enemies.

Mercator Nautica Syphoning Delegation

The Delegation has some special ties to House Escher but can work with any law abiding gang. With this trio I love the concept draining the water from my enemies to then sell to others for a profit. Aesthetically they look like they might belong with a Tau army in 40k but really feel like a call out to days of first edition when we had elite members from high up in the Spyre coming down to eradicate some of the gangs. The chosen paint scheme GW used I feel is too bright so I will be doing something a bit darker but am looking forward to the task as well as fielding them with my Eschers.

The folks at Games Workshop shared an advanced copy of the new edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar with Dominion!

Dominion is officially released this Saturday (at the time of writing this) and we are here to discuss if it is worth grabbing if you haven’t already preordered. One of the two biggest disadvantages to this boxset, compared to others, is that it does not contain and terrain. The second is that if you don’t wish to play Order or Destruction Grand Alliances the only advantage to this set is the Core Rulebook and that is a steep price to pay for a rulebook alone. Now if you are like myself, I play neither Order or Destruction but my son does, you may look at this box and see a treasure trove of bits that can be used in conversions, like Yndrasta’s wings for example. Without any terrain or dice with it is this really a good option for those that don’t kit bash or play these Alliances? No, it really would not be.

Now as I mentioned I don’t play Order or Destruction but I love the style of the new Stormcast models enough that I would give them a try but more importantly the Kruelboyz are an entirely new faction and species or Orruck/Ork. As such they look more menacing on the table in my opinion and in the lore are much more cunning. At the very least I will be not only building and painting these lads but also playing my first Destruction army, ever!

Having played a couple games with the new ruleset I can honestly say that this is the most streamlined version of the game I have ever played and I’ve played a handful of games under each edition. My son and I each used the new models to face each other, him with Stormcast once again and I with the Kruelboyz and he beat me both times. To be fair though he usually wins unless it’s a skirmish game and I didn’t mind taking the losses. We had a great time with the new ruleset and it kept his attention better than either edition prior.

If you fit any of my examples above then this box is worth your time and hard earned money but if not then I would just go for the rulebook when available.

Our favorite rule changes or additions:

Keep in mind that these are in no particular order.
The first rule change is the use of command points and some command abilities being able to be used during your opponent’s turn. Our favorite of which is Regroup. I always hated making a mistake on my turn that left me vulnerable to a move I didn’t anticipate from my opponent. With regroup I can use a command point to adjust my line of troops to either negate their advantage or lessen its impact at the very least! Even better is Unleash Hell for your ranged units. If they are charged they can literally unleash hell on their aggressors and if the dice are in your favor may even eliminate the unit before they can hurt your weaker troops. Think of it like overwatch but in Age of Sigmar.

The second is monstrous abilities. Roar, Stomp, Titanic Duel and Smash to Rubble. Some will likely get more use after the charge phase than others like Roar or Stomp but the other two are our favorites by far. Titanic Duel will allow you to lock your opponent’s monster in a duel with yours and Smash to Rubble will allow you to not only obliterate terrain but also negate any effects it had if it was a army specific piece that carried abilities with it- like Skaven Gnaw Holes.

Now it’s time for some Dominion assembly tips:

For anyone planning on picking up the Dominion starter I have a word of advice- DO NOT clip the posts at all for J4 on Yndrasta The Celstial Spear. The posts as they are are barely long enough to connect. I also suggest leaving her wings off for painting.

Here is our version of Yndrasta:

And lastly, here is our unboxing video of the release:

C.L. Werner is one of the writers that not only continue to write for The Black Library, but has been doing it for decades. His latest release was Cursed City and is a precursor to the game of the same name.

C.L. Werner took some time out of his busy writing schedule to talk with us regarding Cursed City but warned ahead of time he couldn’t speak out his current projects (he’s admitted to writing two pieces at the time of answering our questions). Before we get to our “Covid-friendly” interview we will discuss our thoughts on the book itself.

Now both the game and novel of Cursed City take place in the city of Ulfenkarn, a city under the tight boot heel of the vampire Radukar, known as the Wolf. Emelda Braskov and her friends must take back control of her city and in the process slay the vampire and his spawn. Competing for control of the city is a secret killer referred to as Baron Grin, this moniker is given due to leaving behind a skeletal grin on his murdered victims. The name of this killer is not all original and doesn’t strike fear by name alone, what’s to be expected though when the name is given by an uneducated populace? I personally would have expected something a bit more sinister but Grin leaves no evidence of his identify other than the victims so it fits. These killings however cause Radukar to take notice as the blood of the victims is tainted and these are the few corpses that he cannot raise from the dead to do his bidding or give him answers. That’s all I’m going to share of the story itself because I don’t want to spoil anything for those planning on reading it.

Personally I have read at least a half dozen of C.L.’s books set in the various Warhammer universes and must say that his Witch Hunter series was always my favorite. Before I started reading Cursed City I had discovered he was in the same Facebook group, themed for the game itself. Soon after I was about halfway through the reading and I reached out to see if he would agree to an interview, as you can guess he agreed. After completing the story I was both impressed and disappointed. Impressed because this was by far the best piece of his I had read and disappointed because he wouldn’t be telling the rest of the tale, the game would do that. As for the game we nearly have the models painted and will review it in the coming month or so.

One thing I love about C.L.’s writing is that it is fast paced, I never wanted to put the book down as I always felt like I was in a state of “we need to see the end of this” before going to bed but then would immediately jump from this fire to the next. Things in the Warhammer worlds are never easy and this novel did a fantastic job of embodying that feeling. With the exception of a couple known characters, Radukar or Braskov for example, any character could die and there were several worth caring about. My personal favorites were always at risk, but the real MVP of the story was Morrvahl Olbrecht, a mage who would go to any lengths to see his goals met. Those lucky enough to get a hardcover copy of the book even got a character card to use in the game and if he performs in game even half as well as he did in the story he will be a must have for players.

As promised above we were able to ask (well, I phrased it as a few but it turned into a bunch of questions) some questions in a covid-friendly manner (I sent him the list of questions and he replied to them all via email). Here are those questions but first I wanted to give a huge thanks to C.L. for taking the time to answer them for us.

JC: Was Morrvahl Olbrecht an original character or was he added to the story after his creation for the game?

CL: Morrvahl is an original character who early on the studio decided that they’d make into a character for the game. The designers did contact me to go over the rules they wanted to do, so that way I could implement them into the narrative. So the character for the game is a bit of a community effort.

JC: How much of the story was mapped before it was determined to be tied to the game?

CL: The game came first and then the novel was planned around the established setting and characters. Mind, the game was still in development, so some things didn’t mesh completely perfectly, but I think it was a smoother alignment than a few other instances where I worked on a story rooted in something that was still in development.

JC: When writing a Warhammer story do you prefer to use original characters or start with at least one known character and build from there?

CL: I think that the fun of doing an established character is writing someone that fans will recognize and who is an actual piece in the games. The danger, however, is that it does limit what you can do with them in a narrative and readers will know that. Kind of hard to make anyone worried if Grey Seer Thanquol will die when they know you can still get rules for him and buy his miniature. Though sometimes the studio will throw people a curve ball, like when Captain Tycho was killed (I think that happened long enough ago that it doesn’t constitute a spoiler any more).

JC: Any chance we will see a return of Mathias Thulmann within Age of Sigmar or was he lost forever to the cataclysm?

CL: I’d never say never, but there’s a danger of too many characters from the World That Was entering the Mortal Realms. Really your best prospects are those associated with Chaos and some of the ‘recreations’ of various undead Nagash has known like Neferata and Arkhan.

JC: I loved that the story ends truly at the beginning of the game itself, is this the ending you hoped for with your story or did you have a more finite end in mind?

CL: The ending was actually changed once the studio decided to start the game off with a jail break. Originally there was a conclusion where the heroes would go to ground somewhere in Ulfenkarn.

JC: Did the model of Radukar the Beast influence your portrayal of the character at all or did that come much later?

CL: The book was just about completed before I saw any of the models. I only had some of the artwork to go off of for the depictions of the in-game characters and things like the Nightguard.

JC: How soon after getting approval from the Black Library did it take to write the book’s first draft?

CL: On Cursed City, I think I worked on it for three months after the outline was approved. I know it wasn’t much more than that as I started The Sword of Surtur not long after.

JC: As a writer outside of the pitch how much free reign were you given by BL on the story? (I’m assuming there were some predefined deaths/survivors)

CL: I was given a lot greater liberty than you might think. Obviously the in-game characters had to survive (hence why, as mentioned above, some of the characters aren’t featured in the game so there’s more ambiguity for the reader about how they’ll fare). The biggest change was in adjusting the capacities of Baron Grin’s cult. Originally they were to succeed in manifesting their ‘saviour’, resulting in a three-way battle between the heroes, Radukar’s forces, and Slaughn. That was felt to take too much of the menace away from Radukar, so we adjusted it to where the cult doesn’t succeed and instead becomes something the Wolf is able to exploit to trap his other enemies.

JC: Do you read works written by other BL authors? If so who do you follow?

CL: I wish I was able to keep up with all the Black Library releases, but I feel woefully behind quite a while back. When I was able to keep up, I was reading William King, Dan Abnett, Graham MacNeill, Gordon Rennie, and Jonathan Green. I follow Josh Reynolds, Nik Vincent, Mike Lee, Nathan Long, David Guymer, Nick Kyme, Chris Wraight, David Annandale, Sarah Cawkwell plus several other authors whose names I’m sure I’m neglecting at the moment.

JC: What tabletop games do you enjoy? 

CL: Boardgames I’d have to say Talisman and Zombicide are two standouts. The group I play with really doesn’t do wargaming that’s much more involved than something like War of the Ring or Blood Rage. 

As far as tabletop games I collect or have enjoyed in the past, I’d have to say Mordheim first and foremost. I still do Warhammer Underworlds and hope I’ll be able to get Anno Domini 1666 to the table sometime. In the past I’ve played Warhammer Fantasy Battles, Lord of the Rings, and Warhammer 40k, but just haven’t had the time for large-scale armies in quite a few years.

JC: Of those games which is your preferred faction and why?

CL: I generally end up gravitating towards the ‘horde’ type armies. Usually it is the variety on offer that entices me, and the associated lore is usually the tipping point. For anything Warhammer, I’m always drawn to the skaven. Those perfidious ratmen are what made me gravitate to the game back in the early 90’s when my wheel-house was much more into RPGs like Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and Call of Cthulhu.

JC: Kitbash or by the guides?

CL: Usually I stick to the guides, but when you need a really motley horde, for instance Mordor orcs in Lord of the Rings, I’ll start sawing away and swapping heads and such or doing a little sculpting with green stuff.

JC: Is Morrvahls staff unique and if so what’s the backstory?

CL: Gravebloom is a unique magic item, something acquired by Morrvahl to mitigate the toll taken upon him by his harnessing of Amethyst magic. I’m sure a good story could be told about how he came to possess the staff, but as yet I haven’t had an opportunity to write one (though Warhammer Community does have a short story about Morrvahl entitled ‘Nightguard’).

JC: Would you consider writing an origin story for Radukar beyond what has already been provided?

CL: I think an novel about Radukar before he came to Mournhold would be a great idea. I could picture it as being equal parts Sinbad the Sailor and Dracula! Might be something I’ll mention to my editor. (Please do)

JC: How did you come up with the wizards nightmare spell?

CL: That was suggested to me by my editor. It is a call-back to WFB and the spell ‘Arnzipal’s Black Horror’, which would technically be a Dark magic spell rather than an Amethyst one, but with the Lore of Death already being so close to Dark magic its use by Morrvahl is a good indicator of how dangerous his researches have become.

JC: Why did the scholar choose to try and raise Sloan to battle Radukar instead of finding a way to slay him?

CL: Vladrik felt that no mere mortal could overcome a monster like the Wolf, so he fixated on the idea of using a still mightier monster to destroy the vampire, one that would leap at the chance to avenge himself. Hence the decision to try and raise Slaughn and use the daemon prince to kill Radukar. Along the way, of course, the corruption of Chaos seeped into Vladrik and what might have started as an attempt to exploit a creature of Khorne devolved into veneration of the Blood God.

JC: Who was your favorite character from this novel to write?

CL: I’d say it would likely be Morrvahl. I tend to like conniving and underhanded characters because you can never be quite sure what they’re going to do… or why.

JC: What’s the story behind your pen name being your first two initials?

CL: Not sure there’s really much of a story. Many of my favorite authors employ just their initials, so I just followed their example. C. L. Moore, H. P. Lovecraft, and of course J. R. R. Tolkien are all authors who’ve had a big impact on my writing.

JC: Is there anything you would like to plug/mention to our readers?

I would have liked to plug Cursed City… if anybody was still able to buy it (JC: physically anyway)! Maybe a mention of The Sword of Surtur, which is my next most recent release.

It is an entry in the Legends of Asgard series being developed as a part of Aconyte’s literary Marvel Universe range. The novel follows Thor’s older brother Tyr on a quest to try and prevent Odin’s prophesied doom by stealing Twilight, the titular Sword of Surtur from the Fire Giant’s fortress in Muspelheim. The tone I strove for is a bit of alchemy between a Ray Harryhausen movie and classic Marvel Comics of the silver age.

Thank you again for taking the time to answer our questions and we look forward to your upcoming release. For those looking to check out Cursed City I suggest trying your local book stores or checking out the fantastic audiobook on Audible.

Games Workshop releases the first expansion for Kill Team in nearly two years- Pariah Nexus!

Kill Team has been a staple of the Warhammer 40,000 family for many years now and it wasn’t until a couple year ago that I gave it a try. The concept of Kill Team is quite simple, a small force for either faction tries to complete their objectives. Pariah Nexus is not quite the first step towards a newer style of Kill Team. Traditional games will play out like any other game of 40k or even Age of Sigmar where you play three dimensionally, where Pariah Nexus and Kill Team Arena before it were more two dimensional. 

One main item of note is that this truly is an expansion. It requires a rulebook for Kill Team itself for full gameplay. Other than the two dimensional rules this book includes six story missions and two scenarios for matched play. More importantly though is that it includes rules for nearly every (if not all) infantry types for both the Necron and Space Marine factions.

The biggest problem with this box is it’s natural imbalance. From the start (without modifying the lineups) the Space Marine forces make up nearly double the cost of the Necron force. However, the total number of models per side is comparable and the new sculpts look fantastic.

Gameplay for this style is reminiscent of the similar release for Necromunda a couple years ago where you had a face paced game that was a ton of fun but felt somewhat lacking without the third dimension. With a little imagination though this easily will feel similar to crawlers like SpaceHulk where you navigate corridors and all of your fighting requires your head on a swivel but there being no need to look high or low as everyone is one the same level. For value and replayability this box offers a lot especially for those that are already fans of the KT and 40K properties. My best recommendation though would be to homebrew a few extra scenarios and look to upcoming issues of White Dwarf for more.

Feel free to check out our live unboxing video on the official Table Talk channel: