News: Forgeworld Newsletter #281

Forgeworld's latest newsletter brings out some options for the Contemptor dreadnaoght and the cool new Praetor armoured assault launcher!

Contemptor Plasma Cannon, Heavy Bolter and Kheres Pattern Assault Cannon
The ancient and prized Contemptor Dreadnought, once a mainstay of the Astartes Legions during the Great Crusade, is capable of fielding many different heavy weapons. The Contemptor Pattern Plasma Cannon and Contemptor Pattern Heavy Bolter are both precursors to the weapons systems found on the MkIV and MkV Dreadnoughts, and the Kheres Pattern Assault Cannon is considered by some techno-savants to be the forerunner to the Assault Cannon carried by Space Marine Terminators.

Designed by Will Hayes, all three new weapon options are now available to pre-order for despatch in the week commencing August 30th.Experimental rules for the Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought are available to download from the Forge World website, and the keen-eyed amongst you will notice that one of the ‘forbidden’ weapon options has now been revealed. We’ll be bringing you more weapons for this amazingly popular Dreadnought in the coming months.

Praetor Armoured Assault Launcher
The Praetor Armoured Assault Launcher is a sophisticated weapon that mounts a multiple heavy missile launcher system. Use of this design, recently approved by the Tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus, is spreading swiftly throughout frontline regiments, but the use of the Praetor missile system far predates the hull design of the Crassus Armoured Assault Transport upon which it is now mounted.

This resin model is packed with lavish interior details such as missiles and auto-targeting systems, the Praetor’s massive main weapons system features three racks of immense warheads, and a sliding support that allows it to be opened for firing and closed for transport. The Praetor Armoured Assault Launcher is a complete resin kit, designed by Stuart Williamson and Daren Parrwood, and is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 30th August.

News: Salamanders Dreadnaught

Forgeworld has previewed the latest venerable dread this time for the Salamanders! Impressive work.
"Bray’arth Ashmantle – Salamanders Venerable Dreadnought

The armouriums of the Salamanders Chapter contain many ancient relics; some bearing proud histories of glory and honour while others are burdened with darker legends. Sokhar Bray’arth, once a Captain of the Salamanders 4th Company, is the current occupant of the ancient relic-Dreadnought known as the Iron Dragon, fashioned it is said by the hands of the revered Salamanders Primarch, Vulkan, himself.
Bray’arth was interred within this revered artefact after succumbing to the grievous wounds he suffered during the now infamous purging of the moons of Ymgarl of its Genestealer taint. His strength of will combined with the dark machine-spirit of the Dreadnought in which he is entombed make for a potent warrior on the battlefield.

Salamanders Venerable Dreadnought Bray’arth Ashmantle is a unique MkIV Ironclad Dreadnought, designed by Simon Egan and Will Hayes. The model is packed with intricate detail including ornately carved and segmented armour plates, symbols of the Promethean Cult, and even a jaw-droppingly detailed bas-relief on the Dreadnought’s shoulder armour of Bray’arth’s death duel with a horde of Ymgarl-strain Genestealers."

Finecast Review: Astorath

Hello all, Slick here with a review of a recent Finecast purchase. I picked up a Finecast Astorath recently and compared to the metal one I had I'm very impressed with the detail and ease of assembly on this one. There was quite a bit of flash and mold lines were kind of bad in parts but overall great quality and not too much prep work was involved.

Assembly was a breeze. No pinning necessary and ready to go in a few minutes. $20 ish is probably a bit high for something this size but so far I'm impressed with the Finecast. I've also picked up a Terminator librarian to replace an unopened metal one I had. No assembly yet but a quick inspection revealed no real flaws on the model. I'll be painting up this Astorath shortly.

What have your experiences been with Finecast?

News: Forgeworld Newsletter #278

Hello all, Slick here. Forgeworld's latest newsletter brings a brand new dreadnought type to the game! The Crusade/Heresy-era Contemptor Pattern towers over regular dreadnoughts and stacks up nicely to the GK Dreadknight. In fact, this seems to be FW's answer to the new GK kit as they're very similar in size. I'm also loving the fact that there appear to be chapter-specific variants! The price is also pretty good considering the size of the kit. This one is definitely worth adding if you're a marine player (or even Chaos marines). What do you think?

"Hi there,
In this week’s newsletter we have for you a fantastic new Space Marine Dreadnought – the Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought – along with the hotly-anticipated Carcharodons Transfer Sheet.

Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought
A true relic of the hallowed days of the Great Crusade, and of the heights of technological achievement once reached by the Imperium of Mankind, the Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought was a mainstay of the armoured might of the Astartes Legions of old. Larger and stronger than standard pattern Dreadnoughts, the Contemptor’s systems featured many examples of techno-arcana steeped in the sacred mysteries of the Legio Cybernetica.
Due to their spearhead assault role in the epic battles of the Great Crusade, losses were high amongst these potent war machines, and in the shadowed aftermath of the Heresy the ability to produce or maintain the Contemptor was all but lost. However, some Chapters still boast these war-relics amongst their ranks, and whenever the Contemptor takes to the field of battle it is an echo of the power of ancient days.

The Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought, designed by Will Hayes, is a detailed full resin kit that allows any Space Marine (or Chaos Space Marine) army to field one of these ancient war machines. Will has also designed two unique weapon options: a Contemptor Pattern Lascannon Arm and a Contemptor Pattern Close Combat Arm (Fist). These two weapons can be used on either side of the Dreadnought body, which is itself a fully poseable miniature.
Experimental rules for this storied and ancient Dreadnought are available to download now from the Forge World website, and this kit and its weapon arms are available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 25th July."

News: Forgeworld Newsletter #276

Hello all, Slick here. FW's latest is a small update with the Astral Claws getting the upgrade kit treatment!


"Hi there,

This week sees the release of four hotly-anticipated Astral Claws upgrade sets. We’ve also got a few more details about Forge World’s presence at the Warhammer World Badab War Campaign weekend on the 25th - 26th June, further information about Games Day Chicago and a new date for your diary, Games Day Spain in Madrid on the 3rd July.

Astral Claws Upgrade kits
Prior to the Badab War, the noble Astral Claws were renowned for their duty, loyalty and victories in the name of the Emperor. Their fall from grace under the leadership of Lugft Huron is a cautionary tale to loyal Astartes Chapters of the dangers of hubris and pride amongst their kind.

These vehicle and infantry upgrade sets bear a variety of personalised heraldry, honorific badges and honour markings such as trophies and purity seals, and display the Tyrant’s Claw symbol that became synonymous with the Chapter during its Secession from the wider Imperium.

Designed by Simon Egan, the Astral Claws Rhino Door Set and Land Raider Door Set are compatible with the Space Marine Land Raider and Rhino vehicle kits available from both Games Workshop and Forge World.

Simon has also designed two detailed infantry upgrade sets for this most ill-famed of Chapters: the Astral Claws Shoulder Pads and Terminator Shoulder Pads. These accessories can be used with the full range of plastic and resin Space Marine infantry kits available from both Forge World and Games Workshop. All four of these upgrade sets are available to order now for immediate despatch."

News: Forgeworld Newsletter #275

Slick here again with FW's latest newsletter. The MKII and V armor series now get assault squad with the old turbo-fan style backpacks! Excellent!

"Hi there,
This week’s newsletter sees Forge World return to the Badab War with two new full resin Space Marine assault squads. We also have an update from the Warhammer World Events team on their Badab War Campaign Weekend in June.

Space Marine Assault Squad in MkII ‘Crusade’ Armour
MkII Armour represented a significant technological step forward from the original Space Marine Thunder Armour. Created by the Adeptus Mechanicus, it was totally enclosed and life sustaining, making it suitable for use in a variety of hostile environments including deep space. The few surviving examples of this pattern are still maintained by some of the oldest Space Marine Chapters and are venerated as sacred relics.

The Space Marine Assault Squad in MkII Armour, designed by Phil Stutcinskas and Will Hayes, contains 5 complete Assault Marines in MkII ‘Crusade’ pattern power armour, armed with Umbra-pattern bolt pistols and chainswords.

Space Marine Assault Squad in MkV ‘Heresy’ Armour
The iconic MkV ‘Heresy’ pattern of Space Marine Power Armour was first created during the dark days of the Great Betrayal. Remarkably durable and easy to produce and maintain, large quantities were supplied to the Space Marine Legions prior to, and during, the Heresy. As the galaxy spanning civil war progressed, new supplies of arms and armour for the Traitor Legions were heavily disrupted, forcing them to scavenge components from their fallen enemies.

The Space Marine Assault Squad in MkV Armour, designed by Phil Stutcinskas and Will Hayes, contains 5 complete Assault Marines in MkV ‘Heresy’ pattern power armour armed with Umbra-pattern bolt pistols and chainswords.

Both of these intricately detailed, multi-part resin models are fully compatible with Forge World and Games Workshop’s existing range of Space Marines and are available to order now for immediate despatch"

News: Dark Eldar Advance Order

Hello all, Slick again. Below are some of the new Dark Eldar releases which GW now has available for advance order.

In this issue: New horrors from the Dark City...

New Dark Eldar models available to advance order

News: New Dark Eldar Talos

Hello all, Slick here. Pics of the new Talos are up on the GW site. This is a major facelift for the old Talos kit and they're definitely taking it in a new direction. This new one is much more 'organic'. It also makes the Cronos Parasite Engine. Overall it seems like a pretty good kit. We'll have to wait and see what the latest Black Box brings. Your thoughts?

New Talos

News: Forgeworld Newsletter #274

Hello all, Slick here again. FW's latest release brings some Salamanders Shoulder pads and some more toys for the Eldar in the form of Corsair heavy weapons!

"Hi there,
Our first release this month is the awesome Salamanders Shoulder Pad set, followed closely by the second of our Eldar Corsair Upgrade kits which can now be pre-ordered ahead of its release date. For those of you attending Games Day France, we also have further details on when you’ll need to place your orders by to guarantee that they’ll be ready and waiting for you at the event.

Salamanders Shoulder Pads available now
An ancient and honoured First Founding Chapter, the Salamanders are renowned for their stoicism, valour, and unyielding defence of the innocent. Being skilled artisans, each Salamander embellishes his wargear himself with ornate displays of individual heraldry, honorific branding and honour markings such as trophies and purity seals.

The Salamanders Shoulder Pads Set, sculpted by Simon Egan, contains ten individual power armour shoulder pads, each bearing the Salamanders Chapter badge alongside other details specific to the Chapter. They are suitable for use with the full range of metal and plastic Games Workshop Space Marine kits as well as Forge World’s resin Space Marine Armour Sets. This upgrade pack is available to order now for immediate release.

Eldar Corsair Heavy Weapons Set available to pre-order
Outcasts from the strict confines of the Craftworlds, Eldar Corsairs live in self-imposed exile. Most are young and adventurous Eldar who will eventually return to their homes older, wiser and tempered by warfare. Some, however, embrace the raider’s life completely and fall further still, becoming ever more bloodthirsty and psychotic, indulging their darkest impulses and eventually seeking out the infamous Dark City.

The Eldar Corsair Heavy Weapons Set is designed for use with the plastic Eldar range. Designed by Will Hayes, this complete resin and plastic kit contains detailed weapons, jump packs and heads that enable Eldar players to convert four plastic Eldar Guardians into Corsairs armed with heavy and special weapons, and can be used with both our currently available Corsair Conversion Set and the wider range of plastic Eldar kits available from Games Workshop. It is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 23rd May."

News: Forgeworld Newsletter #273

Hello all, Slick here. Forgeworld's latest newsletter brings us the Crassus armored transport! Built on the same chassis as the Gorgon, it doesn't have the same transport capacity but it does have 2x the guns and some pretty cool upgrades for the weapons as well. These look like they'll be a helluva lot of fun for Apoc games.

Hi there, In this newsletter we are pleased to unveil the huge Imperial Guard Crassus Armoured Transport as well as two new decal sheets for Badab War Chapters: the noble Red Scorpions and the sinister Minotaurs. We also have details of our opening hours over the forthcoming Easter and UK May Day bank holiday weekends. Imperial Guard Crassus Armoured Transport The Crassus Armoured Transport is not a standard frontline Imperial Guard vehicle, but its armoured bulk and transport capacity make it extremely capable. Based upon the Macharius Heavy Tank chassis, the Crassus is powerful, reliable, and while ponderous, it can transport an entire infantry platoon of up to 31 Guardsmen, while its hull bristles with potent heavy weapons sponsons. This immense armoured carrier is named after one of Lord Solar Macharius’ greatest generals, Borgen Crassus, who remained steadfastly loyal to the Imperium throughout the grim and bloody Macharian Heresy that followed the Lord Solar’s death. The vehicle can be retrofitted with additional weapons to fulfil other battlefield roles as required, and thousands of these vast transports were drafted into the 6th Cadian Armoured’s ranks during the fighting on Betalis III. The Crassus Armoured Transport is a massive full resin kit designed by Daren Parrwood, featuring a fully detailed interior, and it is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 26th April. Forge World’s Book Design team have provided these experimental rules, taken from Imperial Armour Volume 11: The Doom of Mymeara, to allow any Imperial Guard army to field this lumbering behemoth.

News: Forgeworld #271

Hello all, Slick here. Forgeworld's latest newsletter reveals the Phanton Titan is now available for pre-order! This will give Eldar player's some serious firepower in Apoc games and it is even taller than the Reaver.

"Hi there,
As the dust settles from the 5th annual Forge World Open Day, we have some great announcements to make in this week’s newsletter. As well as the mighty Phantom Titan now being available to pre-order, the second of our Forge World Designer Interviews is complete, and we have a review of the Forge World Open Day on our website...

Eldar Phantom Titan available to pre-order
Tall, elegant and devastating in battle, the Phantom Titan is the largest known Eldar Titan. It is swift and agile in comparison to the lumbering behemoths of the Legio Titanicus, and is armed with some of the deadliest examples of Eldar weaponry.
Each Phantom is the pinnacle of Eldar warcraft. Linked to a wraithbone core containing the living spirit of its previous pilots, the single crewman of each Phantom Titan, known as a Steersman, is an Exarch dedicated to this aspect of warfare. Locked in a trance-like state, the Steersman’s consciousness merges with the spirit-sentience of the Titan, enabling the mighty war machine to react and manoeuvre with astonishing speed.

The Phantom Titan, designed by Will Hayes and featuring interior detail sculpted by Simon Egan, is most commonly armed with at least one immense Phantom Pulsar, a long range and rapid-firing energy weapon far superior to anything sanctioned by the Adeptus Mechanicus.

The Phantom’s other primary weapon is often a Phantom D-Cannon. Much larger and more powerful than similar technology used by the Cobra or Warp Hunter, it tears a seething warp-rift in the fabric of reality to engulf and utterly destroy its foe. As well as these primary weapons, the Phantom is armed with shoulder-mounted anti-aircraft and anti-personnel missile launchers as well as an additional heavy weapon, usually a long-barrelled Star Cannon or Pulse Laser.

Adeptus Mechanicus logis-engines also record other primary weapons systems that have been encountered in the long history of conflict between the Imperium and the Eldar. Will Hayes will be turning his talented attention to these for future releases.

Full technical information and background for the Phantom Titan will be provided in Imperial Armour Volume 11: The Doom of Mymeara and you can downloadexperimental rules for this majestic war machine courtesy of the Forge World Book Design team.

The Phantom Titan Body, Pulsar Arm and D-Cannon Arm are available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 26th April."

News: Forgeworld #269

Hello all, Slick here. Forgeworld's latest newsletter features an excellent expansion to the Realm of Battle Gameboard for 40K. Eldar are also getting more attention in the form of the Eldar Wraithseer and Corsair conversion kits!

"Hi there,
With only a few days left before we throw wide our doors for the 2011 Forge World Open Day, we can now confirm four more fantastic pre-release items that will be on sale at the event, including the first Forge World Realm of Battle Gameboard expansion tile!

Pre-Release Kits on sale at the Forge World Open Day

Realm of Battle Gameboard Imperial Strongpoint Expansion
An exciting new addition to Forge World’s finely detailed resin scenery range is the Imperial Strongpoint Expansion. Designed for use with the Citadel Realm of Battle Gameboard, this 2' by 2' tile is a superbly detailed fortified stronghold that will make a great feature for armies to fight over in your Warhammer 40,000 battles.

Comprising a power generator, two reinforced defensive positions, dragons-teeth tank traps and huge, armoured blast doors dug into a central hill, the Imperial Strongpoint Expansion is cast from a hollow resin as durable and sturdy as the plastic Realm of Battle Gameboard tiles available from the main Games Workshop range.

Perfect for representing critical objectives such as a command and control facility, or a fortified artillery pit, the Imperial Strongpoint can be used in games of Planetstrike as a unique Bastion or to represent a huge variety of stratagems, strategic assets and other rules in Battle Missions, games of Apocalypse and other Warhammer 40,000 battles, not to mention the Games Day Armies on Parade competition.

Exclusively available at the Forge World Open Day on Sunday 3rd April, prior to its main release date later this year, the Realm of Battle Imperial Strongpoint, designed by Stuart Williamson, costs £60.

Eldar Wraithseer
Rare and precious beyond compare, their souls protected from the predations of Slaanesh within spirit stones, long-dead Warlocks of great power can still be summoned to aid their Craftworld in the form of a Wraithseer. Armed with a lethal D-Cannon and a Wraithblade wreathed in the eldritch energy of their psychic arts, a Wraithseer is a terrible and implacable foe.

The Eldar Wraithseer, designed by Will Hayes, is a complete resin and plastic kit that will be available in limited numbers at the Forge World Open Day prior to its release later in April. The kit costs £34.

Eldar Corsair Conversion Kit
There are many bands of so-called ‘Corsair’ Eldar scattered across the galaxy, and all are savage and deadly raiders. Outcasts from the strict confines of the Craftworlds, the Corsairs live in self-imposed exile, seeking to explore the galaxy and experience the full gamut of emotion and sensation accessible to the Eldar’s sensitive psyche.

Most are young and adventurous Eldar who will eventually return to their homes older, wiser and tempered by warfare. Some, however, embrace the raider’s life completely and fall further still, becoming ever more bloodthirsty and psychotic, indulging their darkest impulses and eventually seeking out the infamous Dark City.

The Eldar Corsair Conversion Kit is designed for use with the plastic Eldar range. Designed by Will Hayes, this resin upgrade kit contains detailed weapons, jump packs and heads that enable Eldar players to convert ten plastic Eldar Guardians into Corsairs. The Corsair kit will be available in limited numbers at the Forge World Open Day, priced at £18."