Warcry Sundered Fate

Sundered Fate

Warcry returns to Ghur with Sundered Fate where two new warbands will fight for control of the Ravening Ruin. Who will be triumphant?

Warcry Sundered Fate is the second installment of releases centered around Ghur and the area where a Seraphon temple ship has crashed. This is also the second installment to feature one warband from the Grand Alliance of Order- Chameleon Skinks under the name of the Hunters of Huanchi. The Jade Obelisk is a Tzeentch cult that centers around worshipping the voice of the Speaker in the Stone and are the Chaos warband for this starter.

The Gnarlwood is proving to be a the great location away from the Eightpoints and hope that we see more realms and other great locations with future editions. Personally I’m hoping for Aqshy next or Chamon. It seems that Age of Sigmar as a whole is following the same realm and region and once we finish the current planned releases for Warcry in Ghur I predict we will be transitioning to another realm.

This box features two of the best looking and unique warbands we’ve had yet. I have always loved the look of the Seraphon, or Lizardmen for those that are old enough to remember when they first joined the world that was. I am also an avid Chaos player. My son loves Seraphon because who doesn’t love giant lizards? Even better for me is that my youngest is now at the age my son was when I first started playing games with him and absolutely loves anything dinosaur related. That means I now have TWO people in my house I can persuade to play games with me!

Warhammer Age of Sigmar Echoes of Doom

Echoes of Doom

Skaven are up to their nefarious deeds once again in Echoes of Doom for Age of Sigmar, this time causing havoc in the Everspring Swathe!

Skaven ride into the Everspring Swathe with a Screaming Bell and a new Deathmaster Assassin, will they be enough to escape from the vengeful Sylvaneth in Echoes of Doom? Skaven have had very few releases in the last few years beyond repackaging existing sprues and with the exception of Bloodbowl or Underworlds have had no plastic releases for assassins or gutter runners. That is, until now and he looks fantastic. Skaven aren’t the only ones to receive a new model in this box either. Sylvaneth players will get the Lady of Vines and a new unit of Gossamid Archers.

I am a huge fan of boxes like this as they make for an easy jumping on point for two armies and give you plenty of models for games of Warcry. There is also a lot of versatility in these boxes like with the Screaming Bell. This kit doubles as a Plague Furnace, however the assembly instructions only include steps to build the Screaming Bell version. This is the same with the Spirit of Durthu which has the components but lacks the instructions to be built as a Treelord. Even without the instructions though this is a ton of bank for your bucks.

Realmscape: Thondian Strongpoint

Thondian Strongpoint

Thondian Strongpoint is the first Realmscape box for the current edition of Age of Sigmar but will it be the last?

It’s not unusual for Games Workshop to release or even release a set of terrain following a current theme. Realmscape: Thondian Strongpoint is no different. What makes this box standout is not the fact that it brings back some of the recent Realmscape Expansion pieces but it adds some brilliant terrain you can’t get anywhere else, at least for now. Beyond these terrain pieces we also get a single model, an Endless Spell that EATS other Endless Spells- the Krondspine Incarnate. In a recent event where Alarielle completed her Rite of Life the Incarnates were created, further proving the realms themselves are alive. The Krondspine Incarnate itself is the spirit of Ghur and the Realm of Beasts is hungry.

At $220 USD this box got a lot of negative attention from the community because most that wanted it only wanted the Incarnate and for a single model Endless Spell that price is quite excessive. Kitbashing is always an option for those players but this is a bad ass model as it is. Despite how awesome the model looks this brings me to my real complaint with the box- the Incarnate. For an Endless Spell it looks fantastic but other than the head of it, nothing really screams “Realm of Beasts” about it. I feel like the spirit of Ghur should be some sort of massive beast, like a Mawcrusha or even the Hell Pit Abomination. Both of which would be a better fit as the spirit of Ghur. What I would have preferred would have been a living version of the giant skeleton that came with this box, a massive serpent monster would have been the perfect Krondspine Incarnate. This model itself looks like it would be a better fit as the spirit of Shyish.

Time will tell if we see other Realmscape boxes and I sincerely hope we see more as we expand into the other realms but I doubt we will see it happen at least until next year at the earliest. The reason is because of all of the Ghur themed terrain coming for Warcry over the next year. When we see them expand into other realms I hope we see more awoken Incarnates.

The Heart of Ghur ~ Warcry Second Edition

Heart of Ghur

Warcry returns with a new starter, two new warbands and a new setting- outside the Eight Points in the Realm of Ghur with The Heart of Ghur!

With the official preorder of the Heart of Ghur starting on July 30th and the official release on August 13th we have a new edition and a very different roadmap for Warcry than we have experienced previously. Officially this is the fourth starter box for Warcry itself, but if you are anything like me all Age of Sigmar starter boxes are secretly Warcry boxes as well. This is the third box to feature only Chaos warbands, this time with the Nurgle themed Rotmire Creed and the industrialist Horns of Hashut. So why are warbands venturing further and further away from the Eight Points?

To really answer the above question we have to first look the changes to the region and then the reasons for THESE two warbands. The location itself underwent a massive change after a Seraphon Templeship crashed and to protect itself and it’s contents it reshaped the area around it, turning it even more inhospitable. The Rotmire Creed has been promised by Grandfather Nurgle that he will gift them with an elixir of immortality if they retrieve the ingredients from the area. The Horns of Hashut are looking to make room for their forge fires to further expand their industry, this means leveling it all to the ground. Now if they worked together they would be able to achieve both goals but when has the forces of Chaos ever really worked smarter? I can say this with certainty as a Slaves to Darkness player, they don’t unless it is the most direct path to their goals.

To go with the new locale we have the start of a themed collection of terrain. I say a start because it is exactly that. You receive enough to play the game but to truly capture the wilds of this forest it is a bit lacking and that’s where the roadmap comes in. Every three months we will be new box similar to this in scope with new warbands and new terrain. If you collect all of the boxes you will have an impressive table with a single terrain theme. I am predicting (I have received no information that this is true or not and is purely my own guess) that the final box will have a either a related Age of Sigmar release that will incorporate this themed terrain OR a campaign book like what we have that followed the recent Thondia boxset- I’d place my money on the book direction.

What are the biggest changes between both editions of Warcry?

To start with we have something that I have personally thought should have been included for years in nearly all tabletop games- Reactions. If these two forces were to face each other in the real world (abilities, gods and magic aside) when one unit attacks the other there is a brief period with the other can react, whether it is turning and running, throwing a rock, stabbing the attacker or something else, they would still react in some way and most games don’t account for this. Warcry finally fills this need and makes planning your actions even more strategic as you have to be aware of which units still have the option to react. Like Counter for example could potentially be more deadly than that fighter’s normal attacks would have been.

Final thoughts on the new edition:

The models alone make The Heart of Ghur worth picking up but the promise of a huge thematic table if you collect each starter over the next year has me beyond excited. Reactionary rules added to the game took Warcry from my favorite title to whatever you would call something ranked above it especially since the overall mechanics are relatively unchanged meaning most players won’t have difficulty transition between play styles. Venturing outside the Eightpoints is HUGE. This opens up the possibilities between ALL of the other realms. #WarcryHoG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLYZwqiKPeQ

Despite delays Bladeborn is here but does it meet our expectations?

Bladeborn

It feels like ages ago that Games Workshop announced Bladeborn, a game that appeared to mix Underworlds with Warcry but did they deliver the goods?

Games Workshop shared a copy of Bladeborn with us and almost immediately asked us to hold onto any recordings we made for a while due to the misprinting of some of the cards. At the time we were lucky enough to have been behind on our recording schedule and hadn’t recorded anything yet on this game. Once the replacement cards had arrived we finally got down to recording and shortly after playing. The link to that video is at the bottom of the article.

Before we get into gameplay I must admit that in the video below I made some mistakes. Specifically I felt that the quality of the minis were of a lower quality than their counterparts from Warhammer Underworlds. I was so wrong on this. About a month later I revisited the models along with their counterparts and the quality was exactly the same so I apologize my words that were so wrong. I hope this didn’t affect anyone and their decision in picking this game up.

If you have ever played Warcry and Underworlds will love this game because it truly is the daemonic love-child of them both. Combat is very much like Warcry (of the two games this is the better system so a huge win) and movement feels more akin to Underworlds. Even better it gives you cards for ALL of the Chaos Warbands from Underworlds released so far. Best yet is that these cards can also be used in Warcry! If you are a fan of Warcry or Underworlds this game will be a great addition to your library and is easier to learn. This means it is a great starting point for new players as well.

Without further adieu here is our official unboxing video of Bladeborn :

Warcry has returned with Red Harvest

Warcry Red Harvest

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.

Warcry Faction Focus with Khainite Shadowstalkers

Khainite Shadowstalkers

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

The Khainite Shadowstalkers are the second warband to be released in the Warcry Catacombs boxset and also had their own second release a few months later. This warband is essentially the secret black ops squad working directly for Queen Morathi and the Daughters of Khaine. They have been blessed with Ulguan Shadow Magic by Morathi herself after a pact was made with the daemons of Ulgu. They fight like shadows thanks to the combination of their powers and their acrobatic abilities. In Catacombs their abilities allow them to run on the walls above the heads of their foes, giving them the chance to surround or even ambush their foes.

Led by one of the most awesome looking models, the Shroud Queen, but preliminary images I thought she was a Melusai because of the cloak curving around her legs. She has an impressive ranged attack and a Quad ability that allows her to hit all enemies within 3-6 inches of her. The biggest issue with this warband is that they are basically a warband of all Glass Cannons- deal some impressive damage but easily removed from play. Because of her high damage output you will want to pair her with someone as a guard.

Warcry Warband Focus Featuring the Scions of the Flame

Scions of the Flame

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.

DrTableTop’s Droptops and Paint Pills

Droptops

Are you ready to improve your painting game? DrTableTop’s Droptops and Paint Pills are here to help!

Many people that know me know that I am an avid painter and always looking for tools to improve either my setup or skills. A local shop started sharing some ads on Facebook for DrTableTop’s Droptops and Paint Pills. Intrigued I sent the team an email and they graciously sent us samples of both.

Check out our coverage of them both:

I highly advise to watch the setup video with Dr K himself as it shows you exactly how to put the tops on your Citadel bottles (check the bottom of this article for the video itself).

When I tested the top in the video I used a single pill as I didn’t have that many. Using it on one of my favorite metallic colors it blended it better than I expected. The only problem I found with the pills was that I simply didn’t have enough. I recently ordered 100 of the little porcelain balls, adding three to each of my metallic paints and got to shaking them. I have never seen those metallics come out so smooth. I paid about $24 including tax and shipping (in Arizona) to get 100 of them and for how well they are mixing my paints they are absolutely worth it.

The droptops themselves are smooth and easy to control paint flow. Caps fit snuggly and even handling them aggressively I have yet to knock one off without intending to. Even better the lids pop on so easily that you could do your whole collection in a matter of minutes (unless you have the whole line and then maybe an hour or so). The tops themselves are a bit more expensive than I first expected ($24.60 for a dozen before tax and shipping) but after you use them the pricing is completely justified. I refuse to spend money unless absolutely required and I’m already planning on my next order, which is saying a lot!

Here is the aforementioned video from DrTableTop!

Warcry Tome of Champions 2020 edition is here!

Tome of Champions

The Eighpoints are seeing new wars waged starting with the Tome of Champions 2020 edition!

The fine folks at Games Workshop has once again graced us with the Tome of Champions, this time for 2020! Originally I intended to have my thoughts on the latest edition out before the New Year but the holidays have a way of derailing plans. Better late than never I suppose. Click here to see my coverage of the 2019 version of Tome of Champions back when I was writing for PopNerdTV. The big takeaways from the previous edition were the added challenges.

The rules for the game as a whole remain unchanged. Like the Grand Alliance books this is meant as a supplement that will further enhance the game. Returning to the Tome are more challenges and options for tournaments. One of the biggest changes is a full campaign! Not just that but this campaign has a story behind it. Yes, please! That has always been one of my favorite things about the Warhammer and Warhammer 40K intellectual properties, the ability to tell a story while your armies clash. On a smaller playing field like Warcry the story becomes much more personal.

Another huge (pun intended) addition are some of the challenges, not just to fight Gargants but to even fight the Mega Gargant! I expect each year we will see bigger and better things in the Tome but at the current rate I already can’t keep up with all of the challenges I want to try out.

Once again, this is not meant as a game changer for Warcry but it is a hell of an improvement!