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.
Games Workshop has released a new version of Kill Team with Chalnath and they sent us a copy for the purpose of reviewing it.
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 Chalnath is the second installment of this edition and is 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 both Tau and Adepta Sororitas are some of my favorite for both factions. Kill Team: Chalnath features new Tau Pathfinders and Adepta Sororitas models along with some familiar looking terrain and is setting the precedent that every three months or so we will see a new Kill Team release, each centered around a different kill zone. Additionally both releases of this edition have also had exclusive models and the first absolutely had exclusive terrain options. This time I have yet to find confirmation about the exclusivity on the terrain but it looks quite similar to some we’ve seen previously. 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 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.
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.
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.
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!
GAMES WORKSHOP HAS NOT BEEN SITTING AROUND DURING THE QUARANTINE AND INSTEAD HAVE PREPARED THE NEW EDITION OF WARHAMMER 40K!
It feels like it was only months ago when Games Workshop released Eighth Edition but in fact has been close to three years! Based on the fact that this is only the sixth edition in about 20+ years I would consider three years plenty of time. I will say it now, some of the changes that have been leaked are very much needed for the betterment of Warhammer 40k. (Keep in mind when this article was written this was first announced.)
SO WHAT CHANGES ARE COMING?
There are a ton of changes but the best part is that the recently released codices and expansion books (ie Psychic War) are still compatible! The best change in my opinion is the fact that even when in close combat tanks and other war machines can still fire! Realistically this makes sense because if I’m driving a tank and you are poking it with a stick or a sword I’m still going to fire my massive guns at the targets that are a bigger threat. In Eight Edition we saw a major decline in the use of armored units because a horse based army could swarm it and make its weapons useless so I expect to see armor coming back in a big way for tournaments and local games alike.
Another great addition is Conquest gameplay. It is essentially a way to play narrative games where your characters or units improve over time. This is similar to Necromunda and how your gangs improve as you continue. This will even help promote slow grow leagues as players will become more invested in the successes and failures of particular units and less on their win/lose ratios.
SO WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY THINK ABOUT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT FOR WARHAMMER 40k?
Regularly on my show #TableTalk I mention my local community through our sponsors at Games U in Gilbert, Arizona. With the owner’s permission I reached out to the public Facebook group to gather their thoughts.
Dylan Smith- “The timing seems a tad misplaced. Granted, they likely planned this out years in advance, but to me it overshadows anything else Warhammer 40k related until it drops. Plus, COVID messed everything up I feel rather significantly for the consumers.”
Jeff Caples (owner of Games U)- “
I personally am encouraged by what I see so far. Tanks firing in CC is great news, the changes as I understand them to flying vehicles seem on point and I am very interested to see how they address terrain as I felt it was mishandled in the last edition.
I am also very keen to see what they have put together for the very small combat patrol scale. My son is almost 10 and I am hoping it will be something he can really sink his teeth into without me having to sort of water it down for him.”
Patrick Cortez- “Wishlisting here
I’m hoping Command Points and Strategems are less of a crux or focal point of darn near every turn, every “major” activation.
Some armies have fantastical “cheap” monster strats and efficient CP generators.
I miss clean Warhammer 40k and not the MTG card hijinx feel. Of strat this or that.
I’m sure stratagems and CPs aren’t going anywhere.”
Matt Campbell- “I don’t see any updates to Character targeting and I think it needs to be addressed. Characters have to be the “closest model” and it should be more like “closest targetable model.” When I cannot shoot something 5″ away in the open, because something else is 3″ away on the other side of a wall and I cannot see it, that’s a broken rule. I don’t have models that ignore terrain or los rules so why does the closer out of los model protect that Character?”
Alexander Zhang- “I’m hoping the game scales better when it’s small like they suggested. I think I’d be able to jump in more if smaller scale games were a more regular thing.”
Edward Morlan- “
After the QnA I like what I am seeing. I have sent them feed back on every one of their questionnaires that the terrain rules need to updated and changed.
It seems like others have felt the same. From the sound of it we will have options before the game to announce the different terrain types. Honestly obscure is the only type they mentioned and the only one we need. Simply saying you can not shoot through a piece of terrain because that template is obscuring is soooo good. Suddenly the forest templates become usable again.
The Tank and Monster rules really help a few armies that we have not really seen in several editions, namely Tank commander guard like the armageddon steel legion, and Nidzilla. I for one am fine with that. Sure it makes getting into combat with tanks and Riptides risky but honestly it should be! There is a reason you put tankbusta bombs and power klaws in your units of boys! You will have to commit to charges versus those things and have some weapons that can help you finish them off.
Going back to 7th edition flyer rules is also great. I have frankly hated the battle filed force bubble that 8th had for them. The cap on -1 or +1 to any units saves means that while the eldar flyers are still good they will no longer be game breaking. Heck we might even see a drop in points now that the negative is capped.
Excited to see all the CP mechanics. I like everyone starting with the same size pool based on the game size. I hope the CP starting pool for 2000 points is large at loke 15cp. I also wonder if their will be ways to increase the cp pool with army choices not just take them away. Really looking forward to this and the terrain rules the most.
Never got a answer on how they will address the slower dice for horde armys in combat. Currently if you have 2 units in combat with 4 units all together in a big blob ( common with orks vs guard ) it can take 45 min trying to roll that one combat out. I puts a serious disadvantage on horde armies in tournament. If we are only ever able to get through 2 or 3 turns in 2 hours we will average way less points then a elite army that finishes all there games.
I hope the missions hit where they are supposed too. That between them and the new rules we no longer have to ask people if they want to play ITC, Book, or some other tournaments rules. If they pull it off it will be nice to just play out of the book with no other 3rd party rules mixed in.
Crusade sounds like the most fun. Nothing to say except I am looking forward to having the info in my hands and will likely be playing most of my games as crusade games.”
There were several other comments but to avoid making this overly long we’ve had to drop some of those from the list. Personally I am very excited about the announcement and love the teases models for both the Space Marines and Necrons.
NO ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT SOME TEASER IMAGES OF THE NEW MODELS, RIGHT?
I have seen some complaints about the new logo but it reminds me a lot of the one they had in second or third edition when I first started playing so I approve.
If you haven’t yet be sure to check out their cinematic trailer for the new release:
I still get chills watching that! oh and James Workshop did a video highlighting the big changes as well:
