In this issue: In the Spot Light:
Infinity Review:
We take a closer look at the man known as the Jackal but he also goes by David
David introduces the world of infinity to the club
The World of Warhammer fantasy - episode 2 By James Pottinger
Editorial Canterbury Crusaders Team
Editor: Lawrence Arnold Designer Lawrence Arnold Staff Writers: Lawrence Arnold, Stephen Reynolds, Jay Newell, David Sylvester, Mike Hutchinson, James Pottinger and Nick Jones
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the second issue of the Canterbury Crusaders Magazine. With the great reception of the first issue those few months ago this issues I hope will build on that success and prove to be even better. This issue is over twice as big as our last one and it has been a joy to receive all of your ideas and articles to include in it, we have a few new writhers’ join us as well bringing their own flare to the magazine. We have some new sections which I hope you will enjoy and the return of some from the first issue such as in the spot light, enter the black library and The World of Warhammer. We also have reviews of the two latest games to hit the club, Infinity and Warmachine / Hordes, both are proving great additions to the club and have already started to build up a good following. But enough from me on to the good stuff. See you in issue 3
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In the Spot Light Taking the plunge this issue in to the spot light is Dave known to many as the Jackal Please tell us a bit about yourself ? Hi my names Dave and I've been a member at the club for about 2 years and have been gaming for about 3, currently I have four 40k armies, space marine salamanders, death korps of kreig guard,dark eldar and orks. I have an ogre fantasy army which is fully painted but only used once and I've recently gotten into malifaux which is currently taking up all my time. What do you do for a living ? I am a domestic engineer and part time crusaders dinner lady regularly providing Joe and Stephen with breakfast and lunch ( house husband and part-time McDonald's) When you’re not moving plastic around a table what do you like to do in your spare time ? Having 2 young children and war gaming doesn't leave much spare time but when I get a little I like to watch movies/t.v, play Xbox and go to theme parks What is your favourite movie and why ? I really couldn't name a single favourite movie it would feel like cheating on all the others I love but some of my favourites are Pulp Fiction ( fantastic Dialogue), Avatar ( amazing on my 3d tv), Forrest Gump ( a must see movie ), and die hard movie ( sometimes you just need to be a guy) and of course The Goonies ( the best kids movie ever ) What is your favourite book and why? Eldest book 2 in the inheritance cycle or more commonly known as the Eragon books a great set of books about a 15 year old boy who becomes a dragon rider Name one piece of technology you couldn't live without ? Probably my 3d tv, but as much as I love my gadgets I could live without them all and quite enjoy going camping each year to get away from the tech If trapped on a desert Island what 3 items would you take with you? I suppose being on a desert island I better think survival so an axe some kind of flint for lighting fires and antibiotics How did you get in to war gamming ? My nephew Toby had some models ( necrons) from a few years before but no-one to play against and at the time we both had a lot of mon/tues off so it gave us something to do What was the first model that you ever brought ? Attack on black reach box set but after that I bought a land raider crusader as my first individual model If you could be anything or anyone from the world of Warhammer fantasy or Warhammer 40k what would you be and why ? I think it would be great fun to be a killa kan having spent years getting kicked about and bullied by guys (orks) bigger than you, you now to get to wreak havoc on the bullies stomping them in to mush
Mystery in the Spot Light
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The first of our new sections, “Mystery in the Spot light” posts all the same questions as in the spot light but to an unknown member of the club. Whoever is the first to work out who this regular club member is gets to be in the spot light for the next issue, so let’s see what our mystery guest has to say.
What do you do for a living ? “I am an Internal Auditor” When you’re not moving plastic around a table what do you like to do in your spare time ? “Anything else creative” What is your favourite movie and why? “Princess Bride - because it's inconceivably good” What is your favourite book and why? “I'm not sure I have an absolute favourite (there's too many to choose from) but The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly is a good adaptation of different fairy tales” Name one piece of technology you couldn't live without? “If I say a Samsung Galaxy tablet will someone buy one for me??” If trapped on a desert Island what 3 items would you take with you? “Kindle, Sunglasses, Cocktail making kit” How did you get in to war gamming? “I was given a big box of Tyranids and told I could run towards the enemy devouring everything in my path” What was the first model that you ever brought? “Biovore” If you could be anything or anyone from the world of Warhammer fantasy or Warhammer 40k universes what would you be and why ? “The Avatar of Khain - because who wouldn't want to be a fragment of a god, made of fire and magma ?”
Enter the Black Library Ravenwing – Part 1 of The Legacy of Caliban Trilogy by Gav Thorpe A Review by Nick Jones Many, many moons ago (13 years in fact) a young games developer named Gav Thorpe took his tentative first steps towards becoming a Black Library author, commencing with a series of Imperial Guard Kill Team novels about Colonel Schaeffer and his “Last Chancers”. 3 years later he followed up with a book entitled Angels of Darkness, featuring the Dark Angels and telling the story of a “Fallen” Angel, Astellan, as he is interrogated by Chaplain Boreas, with tragic consequences. A decade later and Gav Thorpe has returned to the Dark Angels for the third time (having penned the space marine battles book, “The Purging of Kadillus” in the interim) with Ravenwing, the first in a new series of books and a loose sequel to Angels of Darkness. This book tells the story of two Dark Angels, in the main. Annael is a member of the Ravenwing, newly promoted from a 5th company assault squad, and Telemenus is a member of a 5th company tactical squad and a marksman of note. The story follows Annael’s first mission as a member of the Ravenwing, on Hadria Praetoris, as the Ravenwing and 5th company purge a heretical rebellion. However, things move swiftly on, as a lead on a Fallen Angel is uncovered. The action moves to Kadillus, where the events of Angels of Darkness are uncovered, then to a massive pirate space station and finally to the planet of Thyestes for the climax of the story, as the Ravenwing chase down clues as to the whereabouts of the Fallen Angel. Along the way the book explores the themes of secrecy and mistrust within the chapter, with Annael gradually being exposed to new truths about the history of the Dark Angels and his new place in its organisation. Meanwhile the experiences of Telemenus, who is arrogant in the extreme, serve to highlight the flipside of the coin, with the 5th company being kept in the dark as to the true motives of the Ravenwing and getting increasingly frustrated as they are sidelined and withdrawn from combat zones whenever there is a chance that they may be exposed to unpalatable truths. It is clear that the line company marines are not even aware of the fact that the Horus Heresy occurred, let alone that their legion was divided in its loyalties. Even members of the Ravenwing are only party to the loosest interpretations of the truth until they progress through the circles of initiation.
I was lucky enough to get my hands on this book shortly before Christmas, nearly a month before its official release date, and before the release of Codex Dark Angels, when there was a huge buzz about what that codex might contain. As many will know, I’m a long time Dark Angels player, having kept the faith with an under powered and restrictive codex for many years. Therefore, I must admit that I read Ravenwing with a great deal of anticipation regarding what clues it might give to new units and options in the forthcoming codex. On that front I was certainly not disappointed, as all of the Ravenwing units added to the army list were featured in the book. The fact that the army rules didn’t quite live up to the fiction is another matter that is best dealt with in a review of the codex. However, this quest for clues about the codex may have coloured my impressions and enjoyment of the book. I have to say that I found the story telling to be stilted and at times requiring a hefty suspension of disbelief. There was an element of referencing new units and wargear for the sake of it, so that the book tied in with the codex. It is almost as if the book had been written long before the codex was completed and then edited to insert references to new units after work on the codex was finished. Maybe that’s just me. But then I never did find Thorpe’s novels to be especially flowing and easy to read, even back when he was writing the Last Chancers series. To be fair though, the story does flow better the further you get into the book, so perhaps part 2, “Master of Sanctity” will be better, now that the characters are established and all the sales pitches are out of the way. It would also benefit the next book if it avoided trying to shoehorn the Ravenwing into fighting battles to which it is totally unsuited. It was difficult to believe the section of the book where the Ravenwing fight on a space station. Bike mounted marines racing through the corridors of a space station just felt weird and wrong. And yet, if the justification for this situation was that Ravenwing only ever fight as a mounted formation, this was completely undermined by the next section of the book where they did just that. In summary, Ravenwing isn’t the best book out there from Black Library, but if you are a Dark Angels player, or have an interest in the background of the Dark Angels, you will probably find sufficient here to interest you and hook you into buying the next in the series. For everyone else, well perhaps consider something else, like Soul Hunter by Aaron Dembski-Bowden or Double Eagle by Dan Abnett, which are both excellent examples of just how good Black Library 40k books can be.
Do you have a subject you would like to write about? If so speak to one of the writing staff and we can include your article in the next issue.
From the Archives Welcome to the first Issue of ‘From the Archives’ a look back at old products from GW that are lost to the mists of time and fond memories. This issue in From the Archives I will be looking the old PC game Chaos Gate. In it players took command of a number of squads of Ultramarines under the leadership of Captain Kruger. Your enemies where the forces of the Dark Lord Zymran, who commanded the traitor marines of the Word Bearers and their daemonic allies. When I first played this game the graphics for the time where cutting edge and the movie cut ins between each mission where amazing you must remember that this was back in 1998 and I was just a wide eyed boy of 12 and this was cutting edge back then.
The game was turn-based and takes part on a gridded playing screen. Each turn you could take a certain number of actions, according to how many Action Points your marine had. Actions include moving, firing a weapon or throwing a grenade which made a great mess of cultists. You also had access to many different types of grenade not just frag and krak you had things like blind grenades , rad grenades, plasma grenades and the best Vortex grenades. Sadly you only had limited numbers of the better grenades for the whole game so you had to use them sparingly. The Chaos AI then took its turn in the same way. As the Ultramarine commander you took command of a number of squads, the latter the mission the more squads you had access to as well as vehicles and characters from the Space Marines Codex. Chaos Gate features several RPG-like elements. The same Space Marines are used in each mission, and they can gain experience and better statistics as they take part in more missions. Dead Marines are never replaced, so this adds a new level of difficulty to the game, this I really liked it made the game much more tactical you could not just run in all guns blazing and lose half a squad, if you lost to many you could simple not complete the game as you need as many men as possible for the last mission.
The odds where always stacked against you but that’s the way it should be if you’re a space marine. For a game of its time it had a lot to offer , as you progressed you gain access to more war gear and weapons and more squads not just 5 man combat squads but assault marines and devastators but even 5 terminators. Certain command units where available as well, Librarians, techmarines, apothecaries, and on the final few missions the captain himself. You also had limited access to armour in the form of a dreadnought, land speeder and predator only ever one at a time and only on certain missions. The music of Chaos Gate is a real hidden gem of the game because it does not simply consist of the marches appropriate to the military genre of the game, but is also sung in Latin, thus underscoring the spiritual brotherhood of the Space Marines through evoking monarchial chanting. This is further emphasized by the fact that all the marines playable in the game - with the exception of the Captain, whose name is German - have Latin names.
Chaos Gate is currently only available for Microsoft Windows, originally for Windows 95/Windows 98. Chaos Gate was developed by Random Games and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI). In its latest release by Hasbro Games, Chaos Gate was bundled with Final Liberation: Warhammer Epic 40,000, which I will be looking back on next time we venture in to the Archive
How to Paint In our first ever instalment of how to paint Nick Jones takes us through how to paint a great looking Tomb Kings Skeleton Warrior in a handy step by step guide.
To obtain a sun-bleached bone look for your skeleton warriors try the following easy steps :
Stage 1 – Undercoat the model with Skull White spray paint.
Stage 2 – Wash the bone areas of the model with Seraphim Sepia
Stage 3 – Layer bone areas with Ushabti Bone
Stage 4 – Highlight bone areas with Screaming Skull or a 1:1 mix of Ushabti Bone and White Scar
Stage 5 – Extreme highlight bone areas with White Scar
Infinity Review More than I have fingers and toes A review by David Silvester So today, I’m going to write about the skirmish game Infinity by Corvus Belli. You may have seen me and a couple of other guys playing this at the club and we’re all novices so don’t expect huge tactical insight. If you have seen the game you’ll have seen the amount of terrain required for it. Infinity is a game where terrain is extremely important. If there’s not enough LOSblocking scenery, the game will be over in a single turn – and it might not even be your own turn! The tagline for infinity advertising is ‘Always your turn’ – how this works in practice is in each players turn, there is the active player and the reactive player. Every time you do something with one of your models, your opponent can react with any of their models that can draw line of sight to that model. You shoot with a model; your opponent can shoot you back at the same time. But before I get into some of the basic mechanics, let’s talk about the models. The models are all 28mm scaled, they’re all metal and they’re all excellent sculpts. Some of them are a little fiddly to put together with tiny metal antennae to try to glue to the models, but the multi-part models all go together nicely. Admittedly I haven’t tried any of their larger models yet but hopefully I will soon. The styling is largely manga-inspired and you can see this as you flick through the full colour rulebook. For anyone interested in starting the game, you don’t even need to buy a rulebook. All of the rules from the main rulebook and from the first expansion are all available for free online, along with army lists, downloadable counters and quick-play sheets. The downside to the rulebook is the lack of a useful index, but help is at hand as you can download the wiki for your phone/tablet/typewriter and search any term and find out what the rule does. The Aleph Toolbox app (also free) gives you an army-list writer and even shows you the scores you need to hit at various ranges, so no need to look up the weapons range modifiers as it’s all there in front of you. The only thing you might need to buy to start playing is a few D20s. For models, you can easily proxy with Necromunda models or anything else you have to hand and for starting out, there are loads of free templates for making simple shipping creates to use as scenery – or just use your normal 40k scenery (but lots of it) So, anyway, I shall give you a very quick run-down of how the game plays and as such, I’ll miss out some of the gritty details
In your active turn, you get one order for each model you have in your army who is still alive and these form a pool of orders. How you choose to spend those orders on your troops is up to you – you can let each model have one order each, or put all of your orders on one guy (the “Rambo”) or mix and match however you please in your turn. Each order spent allows you to move and shoot, or indeed shoot then move, move and move, move and swipe someone in close combat or a myriad of other combinations from the list of available actions. As I said earlier, any of your opponents models that see you perform an order can react to you. Although shooting as a reaction is not quite as effective as shooting in your own turn (you only get one shot per model as a reaction whereas in your own turn, your gun might fire anything up to 4 shots as single order) it’s not uncommon for the reacting player to take down the active players model while he runs between cover guns blazing!
Now I mentioned close combat, but unlike most GW games, it’s not as important to the game and in fact it wasn’t until my 5th game of Infinity that I had to fight in close combat. What I love about this game is once you have the basics down, it’s incredibly fast to play, but also very tactical and you always have to concentrate on what you’re doing so you don’t get outmanoeuvred or leave yourself with your back to the enemy. The active/reactive game mechanic is also really nice and means when it isn’t your active turn, you’re not just sitting there waiting for your opponent to complete his moves as you are constantly looking for that LOS so you can react with your sniper or with that nice crossfire you set up. The adverts are right. It really is always your turn.
Tales of Fail Welcome to the first of our Tales of Fail, this is as the title suggests is a tongue in cheek section where we can tell everyone tales of our gaming woes. I thought I would kick off with a Tale of Fail of my own which a few of you know already but I know you will still get a laugh out of hearing again and for those that don't I hope it makes you laugh. Enjoy… The game is question is Warhammer Quest, a great little game produced by Games Workshop many years ago which has been discontinued sadly. Luckily David has a copy which he brings to the club from time to time. So there we were, a merry band of explorers in search of treasure in some long abandoned mine / dungeon. After a while they all look the same. My new character was a barbarian (the tale of my first character is a story for another time) being the only member of the group with a lantern it was my job to lead the band of explorers on our adventure it was your usually sort of group; a dwarf slayer, wizard, noble, pit fighter, priest, witch hunter, elf archer and more than likely another that I have forgotten. Over the course of a couple of games my barbarian had battled his way through a fair few dungeons with his merry band of explorers amassing a large haul of loot and numerous tattoos after too many drinking sessions in the pub after a hard days adventuring. The game is a semi role play after each adventure, you travel to a village or town to rest for a week and you can chose what they get up to. I always headed straight for the pub were I would get up to all sorts of fun things. I had acquired some very nice bits of equipment as well I had a magical shield which on a roll of a 5 or 6 stopped me getting hit and none other the Hammer of Sigmar itself Ghal-Maraz. So there I am blonde haired barbarian, the vision of Sigmar himself forging head long in the deepest darkest dungeons to slay evil things for money, power and all I can drink at the local pub. All was going well until we reached the final room; Warhammer Quest works on a board like space hulk but with the added difference that only the GM (Games Master) knows the lay out the area you're in and it's your job to explore it. When you find the final room you generally get a ‘boss fight’ for all the cool treasure. After battling through many evil foes we reach our ultimate goal of the golden dragon. A statue which at its feet has untold wealth (in reality about 5 items that you can pick up but it all makes a good tale). Upon entering the room we saw that there was a deep gorge in the earth with lava flowing through it; the only way across was a small bridge and on the other side was a horde of goblins and Minotaur guarding the treasure.
The rope bridge only being wide enough for one person to walk on sadly got blocked by the dwarf slayer who ran forward eager to seek a glorious death. So to open up a second line of attack I thought I would try something particular dramatic and jump the fiery gorge and attack the minotaur in single combat! I was Sigmar reborn with the Ghal-Maraz in one hand and shield in the other I was unstoppable. I saw myself running and leaping the gorge in a single bound, my blonde hair flying in the air like in some action film with me then landing on the other side ready to smite the evil minotaur and claim the treasure for the group. With a running start I leapt the gorge, and this is where it all went to hell in a hand basket, clearly I could not leap the gorge without some sort of test. The GM tells me anything but a 1 and you make it over safely, easy I think. Sure enough a 1 is rolled followed by swearing from myself and laughing from my comrades. I then had to roll a die to see what happened I rolled 6 if my memory serves me correctly, yes I think a 6 is always good I will live and still look awesome to boot. A 6 was the best result I could have hoped for, a 1 being a long fall with a lot of fire at the end of it, it was now that I was informed that I would lose a piece of equipment. ‘That's okay’ I say; ‘I will drop the lantern.’ GM says ‘sorry you can't lose that it's always part of your kit.’ ‘Ok I will drop the shield’ I say. ‘Sorry it's got to be random’ I was told. Ok I have two bits of kit the magic shield and the massive hammer of win. Ok I think it's an important roll sods law I will roll a 1 again so I say ‘Ok shield on a 1,2 or 3 Hammer of Sigmar 4,5 or 6’. At this point a hush has fallen over the group as everyone awaits the next roll of the dice and ..... 6 , I scream ‘NOOOOOO’ everyone erupts in laughter , I can do nothing as the Hammer of Sigmar slips from my barbarians fingers to fall in the river of lava and is destroyed. My barbarian lands the other side the fire gorge right in front of the minotaur which then as I was not able to kill it with my bare hands (big shock there) it proceeds to beat me to a bloody pulp , my barbarian did survive this encounter but only thanks to some massive healing spells from the groups wizard. So I suppose the moral of the story is to think before you leap and never trust a d6 :-) Lawrence
Hutchinson’s Almanac of Constellational Oddities and Disruptions - Mike Hutchinson Scenarios are my favourite way of playing Warhammer. It is my opinion that games of Warhammer need not be balanced to be fun. I also enjoy unpredictability. Because of this, I like writing and playing scenarios for Warhammer Fantasy Battles. This article series will present a new scenario each issue. These scenarios may be a touch on a random, and in some cases asymmetrical. However, they will always have been playtested for fun! In this first article, I present a scenario that simply adds a little spice and disruption to the battle, without altering it significantly. Warhammer Fantasy Battle – Scenario: “The Zone” A hare hops onto a fallen tree trunk, sniffs the air, and transforms into a giant toad. In the distance, a kaleidoscopic shower of sparks suddenly erupts from the mouth of a surprised-looking starling. A green shoot appears from the moss, shuddering, grows into a bush, and withers and dies in a heartbeat. Perhaps the shattered ruins of the sorcerer’s tower strewn about the heathland have a story to tell. The battle takes place in a weird land, where magical eddies cause strange and unusual happenings. Battlefield: Standard rules from the Warhammer Rulebook. Armies: Standard rules from the Warhammer Rulebook. Deployment: Roll off. Highest may choose to deploy first or second. Set up 24” apart. Special rules: Magical Eddies: All wizards get +1 to their channelling rolls. This is in addition to any other bonuses, e.g. for Channelling Staff. Weird Land: At the start of each player’s turn: roll a dice for each unit, character not in a unit, and monster. On a 1, something unusual happens to them: 2D6
Effect
2
Immediately turned into a Frog, as per the Hex Scroll. If a unit rolls this result, the unit champion is affected. If no champion is present, a single rank and file model is removed as a casualty. The affected model may not roll to revert until the following turn’s magic phase.
3
Immediately make panic check, and flee towards deployment table edge if failed, or immediately rally if already fleeing.
4-7
Gain Stupidity until the start of the player’s next turn
8-10
Gain Magical Resistance (2) until the start of the player’s next turn
11
Gain Regenerate (5+) until the start of the player’s next turn
12
Immediately teleport the unit up to 8” in any direction. Unit must maintain its current facing, and cannot teleport into combat or within 1” of another unit or impassable terrain, but may teleport out of combat.
Turns: 6 turns Who goes first: Roll off, with the player who finished deployment first added one to their roll. Highest may choose to play first or second. Victory Conditions: Standard victory points from the Warhammer Rulebook.
Club in Photos
Welcome to Immoren An introduction to the world of Warmachine and Hordes Written by Stephen Reynolds Edited by Amy Reynolds
Warmahordes at a glance Articles about Warmachine and Hordes often start by saying how much better the Privateer Press systems are than Games Workshop products – an unveiled excuse to attack a more popular game system. This article is not going to do that, but comparisons will inevitably be drawn as Games Workshop has set the standard of fantasy wargaming systems for so long. However to my mind, Warmachine and Hordes embody an entirely different way to wargame. One thing to explain before we carry on is the name. Warmachine and Hordes are separate but compatible rules systems and as a game they are commonly referred to by the shorthand ‘Warmahordes’. Whats it all about? So what is the ‘fluff text’ surrounding Warmahordes? The backdrop against which the world of Immoren is set? To put it VERY simply, the game is about rival factions, religious sects and kingdoms fighting to preserve their way of life. However when you consider there are 9 mainstream factions, along with mercenaries, minions and the new limited release Convergence of Cyriss faction, you see a player’s choice is far from limited. There is as much scope for variety as in – dare I say it – the larger, more successful Games Workshop games. Bear in mind the multitude of mini-factions within each Warmahordes army and you’ve got a massive range of options for gameplay.
How Does it Play? Warmahordes is very easy for a newcomer to get into. Like most smaller companies the start-up costs are low, approximately £30 for the starter box which is all that is needed to play the smallest games. The starter box need only be supplemented with a few other purchases to make an effective army for higher points cost games. The game itself is very fluid, with mechanics that are easy to understand no matter whether you are playing Warmachine, Hordes, or a combination of the two. You will never be rolling more than 5 dice – the norm is 2 or 3 at a time. Combat, at its heart, is very simple – if your attack score + dice roll exceeds your enemies defence score, you hit. If your power and strength score + dice roll exceed their armour score, you deal damage.
Of course there is a lot more to it than that, but it’s easy to pick up. Your attack score is divided into Ranged Attack (RAT) and Melee Attack (MAT). These stats sit counterpoint to your opponent’s Defence (DEF) score. Your model then compares their Power+Strength (P+S) to your opponent’s Armour (ARM). A model’s P+S is a combination of their Strength (STR) and the Power (POW) of the weapon they are using. As standard, you add a roll of 2D6 to your attack scores. If you succeed in hitting the enemy, and penetrating their armour, the difference between the final scores is dealt as damage. The 2D6 dice pool can be increased, but you’ll learn more about that that as you get to grips with the game. Your Warcaster (Warmachine) or Warlock (Hordes) is often likened to a combination of the King and Queen in chess. It is the most powerful, versatile piece on the board – and if you lose it it’s game over. Regardless of any other victory conditions, killing the opponent’s general is an immediate win. Although there are many ways to win a game – scenario objectives, victory points, just playing an out and out honest game and killing all the other guy’s monsters – a ‘Warcaster Assasination’ is always a victory. The Factions Each army really deserves an article all to itself, but here is a brief overview of each faction. For ease of reference these are in alphabetical order, regardless of which system they belong to. Circle Orboros – Hordes An army that turns the nature-loving stereotype on its head, Circle Orboros are primal, natureworshipping humans who draw on the power of the land and control Warbeasts ranging from the lycanthropic Warpwolves to massive golems of wood and stone. Circle is the glass cannon faction of Hordes, hitting hard but unable to absorb huge amounts of damage. However they have a lot of movement and a lot of terrain tricks they can pull, and sport both very diverse beast types and a wide range of infantry. Cryx – Warmachine Dragons play a large part in the background of Warmahordes. Wherever they dwell they spread blight, twisting and warping all who come in contact with it. The Cryx are led by the Father of Dragons, Toruk. He commands his undead legions and pirate raiders to attack the coast of Immoren. The quintessential undead faction of Warmachine, Cryx play a fast game with lots of debuffing spells to weaken your opponent. Warjacks are typically fast and lightly armoured. There’s also the option of steam-powered zombies… and what’s not to love about steampowered zombies?
Cygnar – Warmachine The archetypal good guys of Immoren, the Kingdom of Cygnar is desperately trying to defend their borders against multiple invasions. Led by the younger brother of the deposed, despotic King, they are one of the most technologically advanced nations and have some of the most iconic infantry units in the game. A good all-round faction with a variety of army builds and play styles, Cygnar tends towards long-range combat with its units, Warjacks and magic. With lightning-wielding knights and gun mages in highwayman apparel, they are versatile enough to thrive in most situations. Khador – Warmachine Soviets, anyone? Drawing heavy influence from WW2 era Russians, Khadorans are a hardy bunch, bred in the cold wastes of the north. Since declaring herself Empress their leader has been invading the surrounding territories. Khador are unusual in that they have no light Warjacks, preferring to rely on the overwhelming force of a couple of powerful, heavily armoured units supported by infantry. Whilst their Warjacks may be the slowest, Khador has some of the most solid infantry builds in the game, with snipers, skirmishers, and knights so heavily armoured it more than makes up for the lack of light Warjacks.
Legion of Everblight – Hordes Another Dragon-led faction, the Legion of Everblight is (unsurprisingly) led by Everblight, one of the children of Toruk. Rather than having a physical form, it’s essence is contained in a series of metal shards embedded in the Legion’s most powerful Warlocks. This creates a sentient hive-mind, of sorts, allowing the Warlocks to draw on Everblight’s own knowledge to fight their battles. Aesthetically, at least, the Warbeasts of Everblight look like the bastard child of a Games Workshop Tyranid and the Alien Xenomorph. Their design is both sleek and bestial, and this is echoed by their gameplay. Parts of the faction at least move very fast and hit very hard. Backed up by units of Blighted warriors, most players fear a confrontation with the Legion of Everblight.
Mercenaries – Warmachine Mercenary units can be run as allies to most Warmachine and some Hordes factions, or as armies in their own right. Currently there are 4 Mercenary Contracts; the Four Star Syndicate, the Highborn Covenant, the Seaforge Commission, and the Talion Charter.
Each has a unique flavour and gameplay style. Due to the low number of models available, Privateer Press does not recommend new players choosing a wholly Mercenary faction.
Minions – Hordes The Hordes equivalent of Mercenaries. Currently there are only 2 factions within Minions; the Thornfall Alliance and the Blindwater Congregation. Again, both have a unique flavour and gameplay style. Due to the low number of models available, Privateer Press does not recommend new players choosing a wholly Minion faction.
Protectorate of Menoth – Warmachine Once part of Cygnar until a civil war caused them to break away, the Protectorate of Menoth is a heavily religious faction. Their members are fanatical in their zeal, ready to give their lives in pursuit of their priest’s goals. On the table, the Protecorate are a wellbalanced mix of Warjacks and infantry, with an abundance of fire-effect weapons. Much of their magical power is focussed on protecting and buffing their own units, and they currently have one of the most powerful Warcasters in the game.
Retribution of Scyrah – Warmachine Before tragedy struck, the technologically superior empire of the Elves of Ios spanned much of the central part of the continent. However after bringing their Gods to the material plane their power waned – their Gods began to sicken and die, and some were taken captive by other Kingdoms. The Retribution of Scyrah are a fanatical sect of Elves who are willing to do anything to return their Gods to their former glory. In gameplay the Retribution’s technological prowess translates into powerful Warjacks, with unique abilities such as forcefields that shield them from damage and the ability to be powered by infantry units, not just Warcasters. A combination of strong Warjacks and infantry means this army can produce several diverse, well-balanced builds. Skorne – Hordes The Skorne Empire thrives on blood and pain. Previously led by the deposed King of Cygnar, they are currently invading a swathe of territory across the East that is bringing them into conflict with every other faction in the game. The army is unforgiving, driving their Warbeasts with such torturous punishment that death in battle is a relief. Infantry is well disciplined and the Warlocks cruel to the extreme in the pursuit of victory. The Skorne rely on large, slow beasts, backed up by phalanxes of heavily armed infantry in perverse mimicry of the Roman Empire. Their spells are largely offensive in nature, designed either to directly assault their enemies or empower their Warbeasts to wreak even more destruction on the battlefield. Trollbloods – Hordes The Trollkin Kriels have long been fighting a losing battle against extinction, lacking the technology or manpower to fend off the other factions who threaten them. They have lost their ancestral homeland and the betrayal of some within the Kingdom of Cygnar have soured once cordial relationships with that faction. The Trollbloods are often considered the good guys of the Hordes setting, much the way Cygnar are thought of in Warmachine. As a faction the Trollbloods are hardy and tough, slow but brutal in their attacks. A major advantage is their ability to heal their Warbeasts, and a variety of positive buffs and enhancements can make both Warbeasts and infantry a force to be reckoned with. In the future In future articles I am looking forwards to exploring the world of Warmahordes in greater depth, but for now all I can say is; PLAY LIKE YOU’VE GOT A PAIR!
Club in Photos
Capture the Bastion A Warhammer 40k Mission By Nick Jones The garrison of a bastion on the front lines has been wiped out. Both sides are rushing to claim the empty bastion. However, beware! The machine spirit controlling the bastion’s weapons is malfunctioning and can no longer tell friend from foe, so approaching the bastion will be hazardous. The Battlefield Dawn of war deployment with the following amendments: A bastion with Icarus Lascannon gun emplacement is deployed in the centre of the battlefield, with the door facing in either direction along the centre line of the board. Aegis defence lines are set up 2” either side of the centre line from the bastion to the board edges. Both players roll a D6. The player that rolls highest places the first of 2D6 craters on the board, anywhere more than 6” from the centre line of the board. The players then take it in turns to place the craters. No other scenery should be placed on the board. Deployment Each player rolls a D6. The player that rolls highest may choose their deployment zone (which is designated North), but must deploy first. No unit may deploy within 12” of the bastion (including infiltrators). First Turn The player who deployed his army first goes first unless his opponent can seize the initiative. Game Length This mission uses variable game length. Victory Conditions Primary Objective The player controlling the bastion at the end of the game receives 3 victory points if the bastion is intact or 1 victory point if it has been destroyed. Occupying the roof does not count as occupying the bastion. Secondary Objectives Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker, First Blood
Mission Special Rules Night Fighting, Reserves
Malfunctioning bastion The bastion follows the normal rules for bastions, as per the main rule book (including not being targetable whilst unoccupied), with the following exceptions: Only models with the unit type ‘infantry’ (i.e. Not monstrous creatures, jump infantry, bikes, etc) may enter the bastion. The door to the bastion is locked. Before any unit can enter the building, a glancing or penetrating hit must be scored in close combat against the door, or from a shot fired from within 6” of the door. The door has AV12. A unit that breaks down the door in close combat may consolidate into the building if all members of the unit are within 3” of the door. An ‘infantry’ unit may attempt to assault the occupants of the bastion. To do so, the unit must move into base contact with the door in the assault phase. However, the defending unit counts as having defensive grenades, being in cover, having counter attack, and as being fearless. If the attacker wipes out the defending unit then they may automatically consolidate into the building. If they fail to wipe out the defending unit but would normally have remained locked in combat, the attacking unit must immediately fall back 6” from the door, but may act normally in their next turn. An attacking unit that losses the assault and fails its morale check falls back as normal. However, the defending unit may not make a sweeping advance. The bastion’s machine spirit has a BS of 3. Each shooting phase, roll a D6 and apply the result. 1. Nothing happens. The machine spirit registers all units as friendly. 2. The North facing heavy bolter opens fire at the closest visible target. 3. The East facing heavy bolter opens fire at the closest visible target. 4. The South facing heavy bolter opens fire at the closest visible target. 5. The West facing heavy bolter opens fire at the closest visible target. 6. Each heavy bolter opens fire at the closest visible targets. The Icarus Lascannon targets the nearest flyer (or flying monstrous creature) if one is on the board. If not it targets the closest visible ground unit. If a player has control of the building, they may amend the dice roll by +/- 1. A unit occupying the building may choose to forego their shooting phase in order to attempt to re-boot the bastion’s machine spirit. Roll a D6. On a 5+ the machine spirit is brought back online and the defences are now wholly under the control of the occupying player, with control changing as occupation changes. Do you have one of your own missions you want to play at the club? Well write it up be it for Fantasy, 40K, Malifaux or Warmahordes or any other system and see it in the next issue.
The World of Warhammer Fantasy Episode 2 By James Pottinger Once your decision has been made on which army interests you the most fluff wise or you just fancy doing, you come to your army composition. As with any game the rules dictate what you can take and how much you can take, these same rules apply to the game of fantasy. Due to these rules it may limit you to what you can take because the majority of armies have a core section which is solid but not spectacular. With a few exceptions of Warriors of Chaos, Daemons of Chaos and High Elves but all these armies are more expensive than most. Many of the armies in fantasy have all their best troops in the special or rare sections as they are regarded as the elite choices for you army. They may have a better skill set than your lowly core model but you do pay for it in cost, this is also where it becomes tricky if you are trying to take a themed or fluff based army. Due to most of the army theme will come from these sections in the book and you are limited to what you can spend and how many you can take. For example if you wanted to do a Asuryan based High Elf list you want to take lots of Phoenix Guard most likely, but due to high points cost and limited numbers you may only be able to fit in 2 units but that may in turn limit yourself elsewhere. But then that is the fun of playing fantasy and making up lists themed or not, you only find out if they work when you play them. I have in previous editions of the game tried to take the best troops I can for many of my armies I own to try and be very competitive but I have found they become very formulaic and not enjoyable to play. I now much prefer to make up themed lists either via the fluff in the army books or idea’s I have when I am thinking about my chosen army’s composition. My most recent army is my Ostermark Empire army, for this army I chose to do a full cavalry army with no wizards in it just warrior priests. As many of you know in 8th edition cavalry aren’t as good as they once were, but I chose do to the army this way because of a mixture of background fluff for Ostermark and my own ideas. It may not be very competitive in 8th edition but it is a lot of fun to use and for me to paint. So as you can see army composition has become just as important as it has always been, be it a competitive player or a fluff/themed player. But fantasy in 8th edition seems to cater for both types of player and can be enjoyed by both types of players which only makes for a more diverse and interesting game.
Golden Snotling Painting competition 2013 This last Tuesday 9th July saw the return on the golden snotling painting competition to the club, with the best turn out so far we saw some great modelling and painting on display , with 5 categories to choose from which were, Single miniature up to 40mm base including bikes and cavalry bases, Large miniature 40mm and above including vehicles, Dual/Diorama, Unit which must contain minimum amount of models that can be in a unit but must be 3 or more and the new category which was the small force category, so here is a peak of some of the models for those of you who missed it.
Single Miniature
Large Miniature
Only a file Photo of the winner as David sadly could not make it that night, not that it stopped him winning of course ď Š
Unit
Duel / Diorama
Only a file Photo of the winner as Dave was the man behind the camera and could not take a selfportrait as well as accept the award the same time ď Š
Small Force
Thank you to everyone that entered and made this the biggest and best Golden Snotling to date, don’t forget that you can vote for your best in show on the forum so make sure to swing past the section and cast your vote. And not forgetting the man that made it happen, a big thank you has to go out for Jay for running the Golden Snotling. I am already looking forward to seeing what next year’s one has to offer.
Tales of Fail From the Archives Battle Reports Enter the Black library In the Spot Light More Photos of your armies The World or Warhammer Fantasy episode 3 And much more