Cursed City: Nemesis

Nemesis

The heroes of Ulfenkarn have defeated Radukar again but what’s next? Cursed City: Nemesis brings the final chapter to the story!

You’ve made it this far. You’ve defeated Radukar again. What’s next for our heroes? In Cursed City: Nemesis a Necromancer is working to resurrect The Beast and it is up to you to stop the rites. If you’ve made it this far and are feeling confidence perhaps it is premature. Sure there are some missions that allow you to start your next mission inspired but is that enough to secure your victory? I’m thinking inspiration alone will not win this day. The enemies this time around are much less intimidating in appearance but their numbers may just overwhelm you.

So what has been added this time around? Not including a resurrected Radukar, you will be facing Grave Guard, a Necromancer, Vargheists, Wight King, Dire Wolves and a couple other familiar fiends will be returning as well. Compared to your heroes they are much in a one on one fight but their numbers may turn the tide.

Continuing the story is by far the best reason to pick this up however I have two complaints. The first is the resurrected Radukar is using the same stats and model of The Beast. I was hoping for a lager and more intimidating version of Radukar, maybe one that could rival his benefactor Belladamma as the new head of the Vyrkos bloodline? The second complaint is the lack of additional map tiles. Beyond that this is a fantastic addition and I can’t wait to see how we fare against the undead hordes.

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!

Cursed City: Nightwars

Nightwars

The heroes of Ulfenkarn have defeated Radukar but what’s next? Cursed City: Nightwars answers that with three new vampires!

It wasn’t too long ago that we sat with famed adventurer and Black Library author CL Werner about the Cursed City novel. The novel was a precursor to the game itself, for those that don’t remember or haven’t read it yet. It was amazing, absolutely an amazing read. Nightwars continues the overall story of Cursed City as three vampires try to fill the power vacuum left by Radukar’s defeat. Of course Radukar has something to say about it too.

Should you somehow defeat the three vampires you will still need to fight Radukar one last time as The Beast. By far one of my favorite Soulblight models, thankfully we had already picked up our own models anticipating they might find use through a White Dwarf article or two. The fact that they tied them into the official expansion was a lucky win for us. Who else purchased these models in hopes of seeing rules for them? I can’t be the only one. At the time I was lucky enough to get everything required and already had all but the Fell Bats painted. The new expansion has already been announced and we are currently missing those models.

Many people complain about the lack of models but I think that is a bit premature. This is similar to White Dwarf releasing character or mission rules. I understand with this box you are paying $60 USD but you are getting components and an expanded rulebook. Both go beyond what you would have received in White Dwarf. For that and the in-depth continuation of the story I feel that this box is essential for Cursed City fans.

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.

Slaves to Darkness Army Box

Slaves to Darkness

The ultimate bad guys in Age of Sigmar are getting a battletome and even better they are starting with the Slaves to Darkness Army Box!

There is one undisputed villain of stories from the Age of Sigmar and that is the Grand Alliance of Chaos. Each of the four main Chaos gods have their own armies but the Slaves to Darkness encompasses Chaos as a whole. To celebrate their new Battletome they have released an Army Box to accompany it. The tome however will release on it’s own, likely in December or January. Out of all of the armies in the Mortal Realms Chaos is my favorite and because I can never settle on a single patron god for long that means this is the best choice for me to get started.

Featuring the newest version of a Daemon Prince, new Chaos Chosen sculpts and the entirely new Ogroid Theridons, this box is not even done with the surprises. Typically these Army Boxes feature some new models, some old, a tome/codex and mission cards. This time they have added Warscrolls as well! There is so much win in this box for a Chaos player like myself. Did I mention that the Daemon Prince has five heads to choose from? Didn’t think so. This means even more opportunities for kitbashes later on as well. Like I said, so much win!

Check out our official unboxing and discussion (plus some Ogor Mawtribes love):

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

Kill Team: Into the Dark

Kill Team: Into the Dark

Kill Team returns with Into the Dark and this time the battle is aboard a Space Hulk floating in space.

Every once in a while a box comes out that feels like a fundamental shift from what we know about the game and how it plays. Kill Team: Into the Dark is one such box. Where each previous box from the current edition has utilized vertical aspects of the playing field this doesn’t. That’s okay too, it doesn’t need to, that’s one of the many reasons I enjoy Kill Team. In this box the field of battle takes place on a Space Hulk and if I am right it may just be a precursor to a new Space Hulk game. I’m sure if this box does well a new Space Hulk will be on the horizon.

Some of you may be asking, what’s a Space Hulk?

Great question and honestly can be a little difficult to explain in detail as they are all different and so are their threats. A Space Hulk is what happens when dead ships collide with each other, fusing into a labyrinth typically full of horrors. For whatever reason Genestealers seem to love these. My guess it is because there is no shortage of people climbing aboard in search of forgotten technology or treasures. More people means more food. This particular Space Hulk is known as Gallowdark.

What will fighting in Gallowdark mean for list building?

Anyone that has read stories or seen movies that feature boarding actions know that you go in armed for close quarters combat. That means shotguns, knives and claws. Basically things that don’t require precision and pack a hell of a punch. As someone that prefers these kinds of lists my time has come! I am honestly surprised we don’t have an accompanying novel to go with the release. I would love to know more about what happens on the Gallowdark outside of these battles.

Let’s talk about the Kroot for a moment. Previously we have only seen a handful of releases of these mercenaries. Into the Dark features and entire warband and they look fantastic! Blackstone Fortress featured a single Kroot and even Tau releases only saw a couple previously. Normally I would be all about the monster looking forces but this time the Imperial Navy has me intrigued.

That being said, let’s discuss the Navy. Prior to this release I have never seen models representing the Imperial Navy. That’s not including conversions people have done to make their own of course. We’ve seen them plenty of times in artwork, comics and described in novels. Even in Warhammer+ we’ve seen them featured in Angels of Death (great show by the way). Somehow we had never really seen models of them. At least I hadn’t. I did some further research and found a small selection of Voidsmen that were part of the Kill Team: Rogue Trader box but nothing else.

Why has there been a lack of love of the Navy, or the Kroot for that matter?

I admit I don’t know the official reason but I have my suspicions it has more to do with overall interest than anything else. With Kill Team Games Workshop can bring us new armies that otherwise would not have sold well as a full army in 40k. This is similar to the warbands in Warhammer Underworlds. When the Kroot were first introduced I suspect the players did not purchase them is large enough numbers to make them a true focus. It could be more simple than that, it COULD be that there simply aren’t large enough numbers left in the galaxy to be an actual army on their own. Of course it could be a combination of both or any other things. For the Navy I suspect the lack of models has more to do with the lack of battles on ships themselves. Most of the fights are done on the surface of the planet and the Navy wouldn’t be involved in those directly.

What makes this box stand apart for the others in this edition of Kill Team?

The missing vertical terrain is the biggest difference. The setting as mentioned is on the Space Hulk Gallowdark and everything is close quarters. There is no need to raise your guns above or below you. That may change again if they introduce pipes and things that can crawl in them. At the start I suggested that if this box does well we might see another edition of Space Hulk. I stand by that. This reminds me of when Shadow War Armageddon came out. At the time there were no public plans to revitalize Necromunda. The fans demanded it and used the box to revisit the game without having it be an official ‘Munda release. GW heard their voices and gave us a new edition, as I’m sure many of you have seen. For that chance alone this box would be worth grabbing in my opinion. Additionally to the lack of vertical component they’ve added doors. Hear me out. Doors aren’t new themselves but doors that open AND close as an action IS new. We also have added the ability to tear through bulkheads to create new paths!

Final verdict:

Both teams look great and are great for battles like this, they just may not make the cut if you try to add them to a full army in 40k. Kroot immediately have the most versatility there since Tau are able to use them without issue. The Navy will likely need to see some rules for 40k added before they can be added. The similarities to Space Hulk make this box a must for fans of the IP and the fact that it could lead to another edition leaves me hopeful. I would love to see this even splinter off into it’s own game like Underworlds where we see unique Kill Teams designed for this kind of fighting that don’t necessarily fit an army. Overall this box has so much potential and even if I’m wrong it is a fantastic box, well worth your time and money.

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:

https://youtu.be/G-gCGMcwGrs