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.
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.
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?
Slitherine Ltd brings us the latest in Warhammer 40k console gaming with Battlesector, a fight between Blood Angels and Tyranids.
Our friends at Slitherine Ltd shared their latest game from the Warhammer 40k universe (Battlesector) with us and from launch it is already available for Xbox Gamepass members! We were able to receive this at launch but only recently got to try the game out due to some technical difficulties that required a hardware replacement. With the issue resolved we jumped right in. The tutorial is relatively extensive, showing many features of gameplay, plus there are several hard to earn achievements you can get here with very little difficulty at all as they are stacked in your favor!
The game features multiple difficulties but none of them seem to affect the achievements you can unlock, at least this early in the game and only affect gameplay difficulty. Visually the graphics are really good, especially considering the number of troops you may have at one time on the screen and that some move randomly like real soldiers would while waiting to receive their orders. The terrain on the maps match classic pieces we’ve seen on the tabletop as well with common Imperium iconography throughout but even better show a solid amount of detail, especially if you are zooming in.
Overall I found the game quite enjoyable, this easily fills the need for an electronic version of the table top game of Warhammer 40k. It fills this need so well that it actually feels like one of the most accurate adaptations of the game I have ever played. Of course some of the rules and mechanics are not a perfect comparison but it is similar enough that it feels like something I’ve been missing from my current gaming library. My only complaint so far, I am still rather early into the story, is that the only army options are Tyranids and Blood Angles. I hope we see some expansions that allow you to play multiplayer with other factions as well. If you are a fan of RTS games or the Warhammer 40k table top game and looking for a video game counterpart this game will scratch those itches.
The Genestealer Cults are facing off against the Adeptus Custodes on Terra in Shadow throne from Games Workshop for Warhammer 40,000.
About once, sometimes twice a year, Games Workshop releases a new starter, typically surrounding a specific theme. To end 2021 they brought us Shadow Throne and it is centered around the Genestealer Cults infiltrating Terra. These days it seems like there is some form of Genestealer Cult activity on nearly every planet so it was only a matter of time before some reached Terra. You would think that there would be ways of preventing this in a place where the Emperor of Mankind himself resides.
Originally this release was meant to coincide with the release of codices for both the Genestealer Cults and the Adeptus Custodes but due to delays with production they have been delayed until January of next year. Currently the Shadow throne boxset is on preorder and will be released this Saturday. Games Workshop also promises that any preorders made beyond their initial run will be done as part of a second production run! The majority of this box has been released previously but that doesn’t make it any less worth picking up. For the GSC the Genestealer Patriarch is by far one of the greatest sculpts released thus far for the army and is joined by an exclusive Reductus Saboteur. The GSC though are not the only ones to get a new model- enter the Blade Champion for the Custodes! This is possibly the MOST dynamic model we have seen in quite some time for them and the pose reminds me of the Black Templar’s new champion.
What I am most looking forward to with this release though is the fact that I get to revisit one of my favorite armies from 40k- Tyranids, if only slightly with a single model. Additionally though both factions come with nearly enough to be full kill team patrols for the aptly named Kill Team.
With the recent release of Dominion and the more recent release of Battletomes for Stormcast Eternals and Kruelboyz Games Workshop is releasing the next tome and this is for the Maggotkin of Nurgle!
At the time of writing/publishing the new Battletome for the Maggotkin of Nurgle is officially available for preorder and the official release date is December 18th, just in time for my birthday! Games Workshop was kind enough to share the tome and even a few models with us to prepare you with the pending release!
To start with we will be focusing on the Battletome itself. The cover art is amazing and only Games Workshop can take a truly revolting army as the Maggotkin, really anything that is Nurgle based, and do it so beautifully! I mean look at that ugly Rotbringer on the there, he not only looks fantastic but there is even a matching model available for preorder as well! There are already more exclamation points in this article than most I write, that should tell you something about this release. I have always been a fan of Grandfather Nurgle and that hasn’t changed but I’ve been focusing my Chaos forces to be more Undivided because of the amazing Warcry warbands but nothing makes disgusting fun like a Nurgle based army.
The tome has many new rules as well as others that have been tweaked. My favorite of these new rules is Diseased. Basically for each diseased model near an enemy you add one disease point (up to seven) and at the start of the Battleshock Phase you roll a dice for each point and on each 4+ the enemy receives one mortal wound. Just walking around the stench and viral output of the Maggotkin is so high that you can kill your enemies by just being close to them. If only we could do this with a horde style list.
Rotbringer Sorcerer
I don’t recall the last time, in Age of Sigmar, we saw new releases for the forces under Nurgle, with the exception of the Great Unclean One and a few other daemons which also worked for 40k. This is the first Rotbringer of any sort I have seen since returning to the hobby about five years ago and the sculpt is fantastic. Not only that but it comes with two alternative heads, one is a fly head. I understand why flies are so prevalent in the Nurgle forces but I have never been a fan of the fly heads themselves, they always looked a little goofy to me BUT this one is by far one of the best I’ve seen so far. Of course if you were to also purchase the next item we will discuss you will have many other heads to choose from.
Vanguard: Maggotkin of Nurgle
The Vanguard box is the Age of Sigmar third edition version of the Start Collecting Box. Both featured the two Pusgoyle Blightlords and the five Putrid Blightkings. The difference between the two is the Start Collecting Box, while still available, comes with these and the Lord of Blights but this Vanguard box includes ten Plaguebearers of Nurgle and Spoilpox Scrivener. Literally every item in this box was something I wanted to get my hands on to build and paint as is but with all the customization options I think two boxes will be necessary.
Perhaps this is also the perfect time for me to get myself that Feculent Gnarlmaw I’ve been trying to justify picking up?
Over the last two months Black Templars have released not only their codex but also a huge selection of models to compliment it!
Since Gen Con this year Games Workshop have been ramping up their releases for the Black Templars, starting with a collector’s edition Army Box. This Army Box even featured a special edition of the codex with art by John Blanche. Even better is this is the same art that was featured on the Third edition starter of Warhammer 40k! For me that made this box even more special because that was the first starter I ever played of the game so this box was a must have for me (see the featured image). The Templars have always been the only “good” Space Marine faction I’ve ever been interested and it’s not just because of all the black armor (I use a lot of black in my painting for uniforms). It’s all about that classic Templar knight aesthetic. I’ve always been fascinated by the Templar knights from the Crusades in history and their iconography. The fact that you get all the black armor AND the iconography on these soldiers is a win.
Black Templar Start Collecting box
Features 16 units and a Primaris Impulsor! This box is the first time I will have ever built an Impulsor and I can’t wait to do so. The Impulsor is the only model that was NOT a new release that came in this box. This includes the Crusader Squad which is available by itself as well- see below.
Crusader Squad
Sword Bretheren
This is by far one of the most intimidating Space Marine squads (that fight for the Emperor anyway) and I kind of want to paint the one like Wolverine- you know the one I mean.
High Marshal Helbrecht
This is a massive improvement of the original sculpt and is an amazing model on it’s own. I have seen some recent conversions using this that made for a fantastic Stormcast Eternal- I’m leaning towards doing the same with mine.
Chaplain Grimaldus & Retinue
Grimaldus doesn’t seem to have that standard Skull helmet that we usually see on Chaplains but his retinue are what REALLY make him stand out. I love the fact that the standard itself already has those details on the model and it is not done freehand, it gives me hope that I will do this model some justice when I paint it.
Black Templars Castellan
Out of all of the new sculpts this was probably the one I was most excited to receive (Games Workshop provided each of the items listed on this page for our review) because it is based on the artwork by John Blanche and is the FIRST time this model has been officially created. The porportions are more along the lines of the classic chunky Space Marines and I don’t even care. Between the massive axe and the skull-engraved shoulder pad, this is one bad ass model.
In summary I am ACTUALLY looking forward to building and painting my first ever Space Marine army and can’t wait to see what else they might come out with for the Black Templars!
Dungeon Bowl is back but is it as good as expected and what impact does it hold for Blood Bowl going forward?
What do you get when you cross a scavenger hunt in a dungeon and American Football? You get Dungeon Bowl from Games Workshop. Dungeon Bowl is a lesser known version of Blood Bowl, similar to how Kill Team is a branch of Warhammer 40K. It’s the same world but entirely different mechanics, rules and points. Play styles that work well in Blood Bowl may not work as well in the Dungeon.
At $160 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 Fire and Shadow. 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.
HeroCraft has released an Xbox One version of their mobile hit Space Wolf, a turn and card based strategy game.
When I discovered Warhammer 40k Space Wolf I immediately reached out to the team at HeroCraft to see if we could receive a review copy to try it out. Little did I know at the time this was the same game I had played several years ago on my iPhone. When it first released I found it to be a good deal of fun but soon found a new title to draw my attention on my phone. Fast forward to last month when I received the download code for the game.
I had the game installed for several weeks before playing it and within the first couple turns I realized how similar this was to a game I played before. After a few minutes on google taught me that my suspicions were correct, this game was an updated version of a mobile game I’ve played previously. That isn’t a bad thing mind you, merely an observation.
Gameplay is based on an initiative system that can be manipulated by various cards to speed you up or slow you down. Each character has a set of cards that are randomized and then dealt to be used. Each card can offer movement, some sort of buff, an attack or even healing options. Under the image on each card will list the damage the weapon CAN do but you are limited on ammo or it is a single use card. Compared to most Xbox One titles the graphics are a bit dated but appear to be a significant improvement off of the original. My only complaint with this game is that movement and targeting is along a predefined X and Y axis regardless of the rotation of the camera. Compared to the original format I felt this was a huge improvement as on mobile devices the screen is just too small to really enjoy the effects.
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:
