Tag games workshop

Dungeon Bowl Death Match

Death Match

Dungeon Bowl is back with another claustrophobic match pitting two magical colleges against each other in Death Match!

Dungeon Bowl has quickly become a classic in our gaming groups with the catacombs and traps to navigate, making an already crazy game crazier. Death Match adds two new colleges to the mix and visually is the most stunning release yet!

At $170 this boxset comes with everything needed for a match but also give options to expand. Teams are divided into Colleges and it comes with teams for the Colleges of Life and Death. Map tiles allow you an almost endless number of customizations so that you never have to play the same map twice. Two teams enter the particular Dungeon and in search of the game ball and if found must survive to score a touchdown. One touchdown is all that is needed to win but just finding it and delivering the ball is enough. Players must survive traps and other players who will stop at nothing to prevent them from scoring.

Regular Blood Bowl players will have options to further customize their teams using their players and creatures to fill out the roster for their chosen College. The models look fantastic and the map tiles can be used in other games like Cursed City to keep those maps fresh as well. Without purchasing other Blood Bowl teams however will mean your kit-bashing options will be quite limited as you only have a couple models for each faction as part of the game. As a stand-alone game though I don’t see this title as a replacement for Blood Bowl, merely as a new way to play. This game is chaotic, fast paced and immensely enjoyable.

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!

Astra Militarum Army Launch Set

Astra Militarum

Games Workshop just put the latest army set up for preorder with Astra Militarum and it includes all new models AND the new codex!

It used to be that when a codex released Games Workshop would release a new model or two along with it that were related. Rarely we would see several boxes release at the same time but with the current edition of the game it has all changed. GW has changed their marketing and release process and it is huge. This started with the Black Templar army box and the Astra Militarum are the latest to take advantage of this style of release.

Featuring the new Codex and a box almost full of new models the Astra Militarum Army Launch Set focuses on Cadia. As far as the miniatures are concerned, the box contains twenty Cadian Shock Troops, a Command Squad, a Field Ordnance Battery, and a Sentinel. Of those only the Sentinel is a previously released. With all these new models they will make perfect additions to my slowly growing Tanith First army but will take some time with kitbashing.

We had the opportunity to open this box and look over the codex and models. We must admit that it is a fantastic starter. I used to think that outside the Gaunt’s Ghosts novels that the AM was nearly as lame as Orks. I hated on the army for years. Seriously. The novels gave me an appreciation for the Tanith only and no other faction. This renewed focus on the faction and the quality of the models we have seen over the last year have me rethinking my stance. My favorite part of the new codex is that you don’t need to build your army as a single regiment, you can have mixed regiments! This is much like with Age of Sigmar blending Grand Alliances. Add that to the model range and I can’t think of a more perfect time to join the Imperial Guard, I mean the Astra Militarum.

Kill Team: Shadowvaults

Shadowvaults

Kill Team returns to the Gallowdark to venture even deeper into it’s bowels with Kill Team: Shadowvaults!

The Gallowdark Space Hulk beckons once more and our intrepid adventurers have taken up the call. Intrepid? No, that’s not quite right, more like greedy AND intrepid. Kill Team: Shadowvaults takes us even deeper into the Gallowdark in the latest installment from Games Workshop. This is the second installment of Kill Team that is centered around the Space Hulk with at least one more on the way. I love the ideas of Space Hulks. These combinations of ships that have collided to form a monstrous arena to fight in. Classic Space Hulk features a squad of Space Marines as they search to rid the Hulks of the Genestealers that have made it home.

What makes the Gallowdark unique is that it is home to much more than just Tyranids. This round features the invading Astra Militarum Karskins against the Necron. The Karskins are new models to the range while the Necron for the most part are not. What helps in that regard is that they include an upgrade sprue that allows for different loadouts than you normally get with those robotic menaces. For the Astra Militarum these are perfect models to continue my slowly growing horde of Tanith kitbashes and they look fantastic as they are. The Necron feature the upgrade sprue allow to create the Apprentek, a Plasmacyte Reanimator, and a Plasmacyte Accelerator.

Overall this box is nearly perfect. Bold claim, I know but hear me out. I love the Ancient Egyptian aesthetic of the Necron but I feel like there have been a massive amount of new releases for them. With this centered around a Space Hulk we need more ‘Nids or some sort of unique Xenos to add more flavor to the galaxy. Who’s with me? In all seriousness though the box is top notch and I can’t wait until the next in the series. Did I mention the terrain? Can’t forget that! The terrain is another great feature that can build off of the first box. At $185 though this box is a bargain.

Warhammer 40k: Shootas, Blood and Teef

Shootas

Rogueside brings us a side scrolling Dakka-fest with Warhammer 40K: Shootas, Blood and Teef where it’s time to paint the world green!

It’s not often where players have the chance to play as an Ork and Rogueside have provided that experience. Not only that but it feels like it is the perfect greenskin experience. Warhammer 40K: Shootas, Blood and Teef follows up to four Ork players as they seek revenge on the Ork Boss that betrayed them. This Boss kicks your character out of the gunner seat of the Dakkajet you were in. This perilous fall puts you in the middle of a fight with your fellow Orks, Astra Militarum, Genestealer Cults and more.

Visually the game reminds me of the classic Metal Slug games but with actual cinematic scenes that are high quality and hilarious. The team behind these scenes really need to turn this into an animated series to be added to the library of shows on Warhammer+. The controls at the start of the game felt very clunky, specifically in relation to the jump button. On Xbox One you jump by hitting Left Trigger, or LT, and this felt weird to say the least. Thankfully they offer controller options where you can assign the buttons however you want! Almost no game overs this level of flexibility in the controls and Rogueside knocked it out of the damn park with this feature alone.

The game offers gorgeous visuals, hilarious dialogue, amazing button mapping and an overall experience that is fun as hell. If you are a fan of Warhammer or Orks themselves this game is going to be more than just enjoyable, you’re gonna love it.

The Leagues of the Votann are here!

Leagues of the Votann

Squats have returned to Warhammer 40k for the first time since 1998 and have been rebranded as the Leagues of the Votann!

Those that have been into Warhammer 40k for a couple decades are familiar with the term Squats but how many are familiar with the Leagues of the Votann? Comparatively I would venture that more people are aware of the Votann now that knew about Squats previously. That has more to do with the size the community has grown. Sure, we’ve lost some along the way to boyfriends, girlfriends and careers but we’ve gained so many more than were lost. According to some of the various themed wiki sites, Games Workshop felt the lore behind the Squats needed to be reworked and ended production on them as a whole.

So what exactly IS a Squat? To the lay they are essentially Space Dwarves. Per the lore they are an impolite nickname for a race that splintered off humanity during the Age of Technology and began cloning themselves to effectively become immortal and like any good dwarf focuses on turning a profit. Their home worlds have such an extreme gravity that their height is effectively stunted and through genetic manipulation have been made to thrive in worlds that would destroy most humans or human like creatures.

A couple years ago a couple Squats found their way into Necromunda and were only available through Forgeworld. These hired guns left the community wanting more and a few months ago the first introductions to the League arrived in Necromunda as their own gang. Soon to follow more and more teases were shared on the Warhammer Community page and they looked fantastic. Warhammer+ at the time of writing now has two episodes of Loremasters and two battle reports dedicated to this new force with more to come! Even if Games Workshop didn’t share an Army Box with us we would be all aboard this hype train. Between the lore and models we are more than excited.

Some person that was majorly talented with Photoshop took some of the recent release announcements and re-imagined what the Leagues would look like if they were done to resemble TMNT and I think I’ve found my next project!

Want to see what we thought of the Army Box in our live unboxing video?

https://studio.youtube.com/video/ls1hJEvRyyQ/edit

Warhammer Age of Sigmar Arcane Cataclysm

Arcane Cataclysm

Lumineth Realmlords face off against the Disciples of Tzeentch in the latest Battlebox for Warhammer Age of Sigmar- Arcane Cataclysm!

Arcane Cataclysm is the most recent Battlebox for Warhammer Age of Sigmar from Games Workshop and features two exclusive models. Both models will be released later on down the road, I would expect in five to six months. Seems like a specific guess, right? My time frame is based on the release of the Echoes of Doom boxset and the fact the two exclusive models in that box are available for preorder along with Arcane Cataclysm. Echoes of doom was released in March and here we are five months later with them up for preorder as of the date of this article going live. Based on this same timeline I would expect the new Curseling and Scinari Enlightener to be released January, February at the latest. Some Chaos players will remember that the Curseling already had a model and may or may not be aware that it was released in resin. This is an entirely new sculpt in plastic.

Both the Lumineth Realmlords and Disciples of Tzeentch are converging on Iliatha, a land where ancient arcane weaponry has fallen. The Realmlords were tasked with keeping them safe and to stop anyone from retrieving the weapons. Weaponry that is arcane in nature and powerful sounds like a prize the Disciples of Tzeentch would be after.

Having no experience with the existing models for either faction previously but I must admit I am a fan of both factions after reviewing this box. With roots in the old High Elves army the Lumineth Realmlords are sleek some great detail in their armor. The Disciples of Tzeenth though don’t have any direct roots from the world that was but these models have a ton of detail just in the exposed muscles of the units alone and look fantastic. Check out our unboxing and discussion of this box:

Kill Team: Nachmund and Moroch

Kill Team

Games Workshop has released a new version of Kill Team with Nachmund and Moroch, plus they sent us copies for the purpose of reviewing them.

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 third 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 Nachmund and Moroch are the third and fourth installments of this edition and are much 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 Chaos Cultists, Astartes, Chaos Space Marines and Aeldari are some of my favorites for each of the factions. Kill Team: Nachmund features new Aeldari Voidscarred Corsairs and Chaos Space Marine models along with some familiar looking terrain and continues the precedent that every three months or so we will see a new Kill Team release, each centered around a different kill zone. Kill Team: Moroch features new Chaos Cultists (plus two classics from Black Stone Fortress) as well as 10 Phobos Primaris Marines. Additionally both releases of this edition have also had exclusive models. I can’t wait to see what other exclusive models and terrain 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.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Arena of Shades

Arena of Shades

The Arena of Shades puts the Nighthaunt against the Daughters of Khaine and introduces a new hero model for each side.

It should come as no surprise that Nagash believes that all souls belong to him and after Morathi’s recent ascension to godhood he has a big reason to hate the Daughters of Khaine. The Arena of Shades puts these two forces against each other in the city formerly known of Anvilgard as Nagash looks to settle the score after the events of Broken Realms. Typically with these boxed starters we see only one or two new models, usually one per faction but in this box we see a five model unit of Craventhrone Guard in addition to a hero for each faction.

While this box is no longer available through Games Workshop directly there are still a few third party sellers with it available. At release the box was $195 USD and considering the fact that you get over forty models, seven of them previously unreleased, this box is a steal. If you price out the individual components these items would easily cost $250 or more. Additionally White Dwarf subscribers will have already received cards to use the new units in Warcry, add these to the already huge lists for both groups in Warcry and you have even more options to help you dominate the field of battle.

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.