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."

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 #277

Hello all, Slick here with the latest newsletter from Forgeworld! Dark Eldar get a sleek new vehicle with the Reaper while marines get some old-school heavy weapons!

"Hi there,
In this week’s newsletter we are excited to announce four great new products: an addition to our Dark Eldar range in the form of the terrifying Reaper, a Space Marine Heavy Weapons set, and two decal sheets for the Eldar and the Astral Claws.

Dark Eldar Reaper
Akin to the Ravager, the Reaper is a swift and deadly gunship. Its sleek, dart-like hull is built around a single, monstrously-powerful weapon codified by the Xenosavants of the Adeptus Biologis as a Storm Vortex projector. This cannon operates much like the smaller Haywire blaster, and unleashes a cascading pulse of electromagnetic energy that is far more powerful than anything possible in a hand weapon. The vortex chamber at the Reaper’s heart is a cage for howling energies harvested from the spires of Commorragh itself, which when combined with its speed and manoeuvrability makes the Reaper an elegant but still devastatingly lethal weapon when compared to the brutal armoured warfare practiced by lesser races.

The Dark Eldar Reaper is a complete resin and plastic kit which contains a plastic Dark Eldar Raider kit and a set of detailed resin conversion parts, designed by Stuart Williamson, which allow the reaper variant to be added to any Dark Eldar army.
Experimental rules for this sleek and powerful craft are available now to download from the Forge World website, and the Dark Eldar Reaper is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 27th June.

Space Marine Heavy Weapons Set
The noble Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes are supplied with weapons and armour by ancient alliance with the Adeptus Mechanicus. Some of the less common patterns of heavy weapons created by these techno-magi date from the hallowed and ancient days of the Great Crusade and the Astartes Legions of old. These shoulder-mounted patterns afford greater protection to the wielder as they allow less of the firer to be exposed to incoming enemy fire as they unleash their destructive salvo.

This Space Marine Heavy Weapons Set, designed by Phil Stutcinskas, contains four resin heavy weapons: a Plasma Cannon, Multi-Melta, Heavy Bolter and a Lascannon, as well as supporting and counter-balancing arms, and backpacks that can be used with the full range of both Citadel and Forge World Space Marine kits.
This detailed resin upgrade set is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 27th June.

New Astral Claws and Eldar Decal Sheets
Our final releases for this week’s newsletter are two new additions to our range of A4 Decal sheets, designed by Kenton Mills and Paul Rudge.

The Eldar Decal Sheet is packed with over 1,000 individual decals that are suitable for use on both vehicles and infantry. Craftworld, Path and Aspect runes are all included as well as unique runes for the doomed Craftworld of Mymeara and the Corsair bands of the Sky Reavers, Sunblitz Brotherhood and the notorious Void Dragons.
The eagerly-anticipated Astral Claws Decal Sheet contains over 500 Chapter badges, Tyrant’s Claw symbols, blazons and the Maelstrom Warders heraldry suitable for use on both vehicles and infantry. The sheet also contains Chapter badges for the ill-fated Tiger Claws Chapter and is packed with the Astral Claws ‘true’ lion-headed Chapter device as well as the heraldry of Lugft Huron that became synonymous with the notorious Badab War campaign.

Both of these decal sheets are available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 27th June."

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: Mantic Announces Warpath!

Hello all, Slick here. Mantic's latest newsletter features an interview on Beasts of War where they announce their foray into a Sci-Fi game with Warpath! If done right this might finally be some competition for GW on the sci-fi front. Time will tell!

Didn't catch Ronnie Live on Beasts of War?

Ronnie and Alessio Cavatore made an appearance on Beasts of War’s Live TURN 8 vidcast with a whole host of goodies and more than one unexpected announcement!

Missed it? Then catch the latest episode of Turn 8 here!

With Ronnie detailing the future of Mantic on the Turn 8 Show, perhaps most excitingly of all the announcements was this one...

Mantic is doing Sci-fi!

Warpath is the new sci-fi game and miniatures range from Mantic Games coming later this year - keep an eye out on the blog and newsletter for future updates, and get your friends to sign-up too because they won't want to miss out!

News: Warhammer Forge Newsletter #8

Hello all, Slick here. Warhammer Forge is releasing more Empire goodness with Capt. Van Der Kraal's command group and the massive Chaos Siege Giant.

Hi there,
As the dust settles from Games Day France, this week’s newsletter brings you two more exciting releases for Empire and Chaos players: the notorious Captain Van Der Kraal and the Manann’s Blades Command group, and the brutal Chaos Siege Giant. We also have an update to our Events pages regarding Games Day Chicago 2011.

Captain Van Der Kraal and Manann’s Blades Command Group

Pirate, mercenary, smuggler, gallows thief, Captain Edvard Van Der Kraal has been many things in his life, almost all of them disreputable. He has cheated Morr a great many times over the years, fighting against the dark-mist kindred of the Cursed Marshes and emerging victorious; raiding Norsca with fire and sword; even surviving being shipwrecked on the infamous Vampire Coast of Lustria and returning to tell the tale. Despite his ruthlessness, he is a man of his word which makes him rare indeed and much sought after as a mercenary.

The Manann’s Blades Command, designed by Steve Whitehead, comprises three complete miniatures: Captain Van Der Kraal himself along with a Standard Bearer and Musician, and is available to order now for immediate despatch.
Full rules for this nefarious soldier of fortune and his ruthless followers will feature in the forthcoming Warhammer Forge book Tamurkhan: The Throne of Chaos.

Chaos Siege Giant

The Sorcerer-Smiths of the Chaos Dwarfs have long been aware of the battlefield potential of a captured Giant, and have been unable to resist the urge to ‘improve’ on the creature’s natural strengths. The most common result of this is the Siege Giant, a mutilated, half-insane creature made proof against attack by layer upon layer of iron and bronze plates nailed deep into the creature’s flesh and even directly to its massive skeleton. Weapons such as immense hooked blades are spliced directly onto the Giant’s truncated arms to enable it to scale or tear down fortifications and slaughter the largest monsters. The beast is also fitted with scaling hooks and chains, enabling its dead carcass to be used as a scaling platform should it fall.

The Chaos Siege Giant, designed by Keith Robertson, is a complete resin and plastic kit that makes a barbaric centrepiece to any Warriors of Chaos army. It is available to order now for immediate despatch, and experimental rules for this terrifying behemoth are available to download now, taken from the forthcoming Warhammer Forge book Tamurkhan: The Throne of Chaos.

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: Mantic - Green Tide

Hello all, Slick here. The latest from Mantic is all about Orcs! Mantic is doing another one of their excellent army deals for the Orcs!

Warehouse is now open!

"It’s been a busy few weeks, but the warehouse is now officially open - and orders have now begun shipping out. Thank you for your patience, we couldn’t have wished for a smoother move and everything there is looking great.

Speaking of great, Golem got one or two Greatax sprues from the folks at Renedra and, since all next week is going to be Orc Week on the Blog, here's a teaser shot of just one of the great pieces we have in the run up to the Orc Krudger’s Gang, Greatax and the awesome Gakamak’s Green Tide Orc Army Deal being released!

Orc Greatax

Next week we’ll have even more previews, videos, painted miniatures and more, so make sure you check out the Mantic Blog all next week!

The Abyssal Dwarfs are also getting reinforcements in the shape of Abyssal Dwarf Berserkers and the Storm of Steel (which is currently the only way to get the Half-Breeds) are also shipping on the 23rd May!

Abyssal Dwarf Berserkers

If you’ve been looking at the Abyssal Dwarfs thinking, I want a piece of those, then the best way to get an an army is to check out Kharnakh’s Nightmare Legion, which contains over 75 figures, ships post free and contains free printed Kings of War rules."

News: Warhammer Forge #7

Hello all, Slick here. The latest Warhammer Forge newsletter brings a whole lot of Chaos Dwarf goodness! The Iron Daemon looks vicious!

"Hi there,
This week’s newsletter contains a veritable feast of new releases, so without further ado we bring you the first of our eagerly awaited Chaos Dwarf kits!

Chaos Dwarf Iron Daemon

The Chaos Dwarfs possess a mastery of steam technology that would make the Engineers of the Empire baulk in awe. The Chaos Dwarfs fuel these war machines with the resources of their cruel land. Primarily this is a form of coal which is ensorcelled to burn hotter and more constantly than would naturally be possible, but lesser materials such as wood can be pressed into service if needs be, and rumours abound of infernal devices that run on blood, ground bones and screaming souls.

The Iron Daemon is a compact, steam-driven armoured traction engine. Its boilers allow it to haul smaller war machines and munitions to the battlefield, and simultaneously operates pressure-fed cannonades. This means that the Iron Daemon is a powerful war machine, a fully mobile artillery piece capable of smashing down fortifications and hacking apart ranks of soldiers with murderous ease.

The Chaos Dwarf Iron Daemon, designed by Tim Adcock, is a complete resin kit supplied with three detailed crew, sculpted by Thais Mariblanca Lopez. It is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 23rd May.Experimental rules for this deadly war machine, taken from the forthcoming Warhammer Forge book Tamurkhan: The Throne of Chaos, are available to download now from the Forge World website.

Chaos Dwarf Infernal Guard
The Infernal Guard defend the Black Fortress to the death against any who would assail it, and carry out the will of their lord without question. Their ranks are made up of Chaos Dwarfs to which some stain of failure or dishonour has befallen, and in the eyes of the cruel and unforgiving Chaos Dwarf society such a taint can stem from merely possessing blood ties to a failed battle commander, knowing defeat beneath the gaze of a Sorcerer or presiding over slaves who revolt.

Whatever the cause of such dishonour, the Infernal Guard offer the solace of Hashut’s grace in death and anonymity in life. Upon taking the cult’s oath, names and past kinship are shorn away and their faces are sealed beneath hot iron and bronze masks which sear into their flesh. Only if they achieve great glory are the masks removed, exposing the warrior’s scarred face to the world once more.

Drilled mercilessly by their Castellans and barracked in the burning deeps beneath the Black Fortress, only the strongest survive within the ranks of the Infernal Guard and few can withstand them in battle. Fewer yet can hope to break their line so great is their martial skill.
Alan Bligh's Experimental rules for these fell warriors, taken from the forthcoming book Tamurkhan: The Throne of Chaos, are available to download now from the Forge World website.

Infernal Guard

The Infernal Guard, sculpted by Edgar Skomorowski, is a detailed resin kit comprising ten Infernal Guard armed with hand weapons and shields. The kit contains ten differently detailed heads, two different styles of body and five individual designs of weapons, each festooned with the brutal detail of the Dawi Zharr. This kit is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 23rd May.

Infernal Guard with Fireglaives
The Fireglaive is a compact repeating handgun that also incorporates a single-edged blade that can be wielded much like a halberd. The Fireglaive is a complicated weapon to manufacture, and a difficult one to master, so their use is largely confined to the elite and to the Chaos Dwarf Daemonsmiths that fashion them.

The Infernal Guard with Fireglaives, sculpted by Edgar Skomorowski, is a detailed full resin kit comprising ten Chaos Dwarf Infernal Guard armed with these deadly firearms. The kit contains ten individually detailed helmets, two differently detailed and posed bodies and two different Fireglaives, allowing for a great deal of modelling potential. This kit is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 23rd May.

Infernal Guard Command Group
Commanded by a Castellan, himself a once-shamed member of the Infernal Guard who has since won glory in battle and earned the right to bear his face to the world again, the Infernal Guard march beneath the cruel iron visage of Hashut, the fell daemon-god of their dark race. The clamour of their iron-shod strides are accompanied by the dolorous pounding of cruel drums.

Sculpted by Edgar Skomorowski, the Infernal Guard Command Group comprises three full resin figures: a Castellan, Standard Bearer and a Musician. The set also contains weapon options for the Castellan which allow the Command Group to be used with both of the Infernal Guard kits released in this newsletter. It is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 23rd May."

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: Warhammer Forge #6

Hello all, Slick here. The latest from Warhammer Forge brings us some cool Empire upgrades! This time there are some upgrades for Marienburger infantry and the Nuln Ironsides command group!

Hi there,
We have more new releases for Empire players to announce in this week’s Warhammer Forge newsletter: a command group for the Nuln Ironsides Handgunners, which includes Castellan-Engineer Falk, and the notorious Marienburg regiment Manann’s Blades.

Castellan-Engineer Jubal Falk and Nuln Ironsides command group
The current commander of the Nuln Ironsides is Jubal Falk, an engineer with a flair for tactical matters who many consider destined to become Guildmaster of the Gunnery School. Falk’s natural talents and dogged enforcement of strict discipline have earned him an honourable reputation, and he is well-respected by his men both for his skills as a battlefield engineer and as their leader.

The Empire Ironsides Command Group, sculpted by Keith Robertson, comprises three complete resin miniatures: Castellan-Engineer Falk accompanied by a musician and a standard bearer. Together they create a complete command group for the Empire Ironsides Handgunner Conversion Set, which is available from the Warhammer Forge website.

The Command Group is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 26th April.

Manann’s Blades Swordsmen Conversion Set
The infamous Manann’s Blades are a powerful mercenary regiment owned, outfitted and operated via intermediaries sworn to the shadowy Merchant Lords of Marienburg. This gang of ne’er-do-wells gather around a core of hardened fighters, veteran marines from the Marienburger merchant fleets who are utterly without honour. They have seldom sold their blades for gold in the Empire, and it is doubtful that anyone so feared (and as born a survivor) as Edvard Van Der Kraal could keep them in check.

The Manann’s Blades Swordsmen Conversion Set, sculpted by Steve Whitehead, comprises ten resin Swordsmen figures festooned with detailed Marienburg iconography, and is designed to be used with the plastic Warhammer Empire State Troops weapons. This is useful for Detachments as well as larger regiments, as twenty infantry can be built from a single plastic kit and this finely detailed resin conversion kit.

The Manann’s Blades Conversion Kit is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing 26th April.

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.