GenCon - Reveals Roundup

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Unfortunately, I can’t be at GenCon. What with living in the UK and there being a pandemic on. However, the Warhammer Community site is going to be packed brimming with all the juicy details of what has been revealed. So without further ado let’s jump right in and see what I think. 

Day One

Warhammer Underworlds: Harrowdeep

We all knew this was coming, Games Workshop have been teasing a new season of Warhammer Underworlds since before the last warband for the previous season was even announced. Now, I don’t know much about Warhammer Underworlds, I have a Beastgrave box on my shelf that I really need to put together, but it has always intrigued me. So far, the biggest change that I can see is that the box is blue this time. Rather fitting as this particular season takes place in an undersea dungeon in the Realm of Shadows. So dark I’m surprised the box wasn’t black. 

What isn’t surprising is that the starting warbands for Harrowdeep are the Kruleboyz and the Stormcast Eternals. Clearly mirroring the Dominion boxset that was released to ring in the new edition of Age of Sigmar and if nothing else capitalising on them being in the community spotlight at the moment. Then again, I suppose that Games Workshop doesn’t actually allow the Stormcast Eternals to stray too far from the limelight anyway. Either way, these are some really fun looking models; Games Workshop is getting pretty good at packing more and more character into their models. I especially like the Kruleboy that’s lost his hand and replaced it with what looks like a dagger blade. Not to mention that the Stormcasts have a little birdie. D’awww. I can see a lot of painters taking advantage of the dimly lit setting to really play with some object source lighting for their warbands. I’m keen to see what the community comes up with. 

I’m sure that given the undersea theme of this season that a few people are surprised that the Idoneth Deepkin aren’t one of the starting warbands. However, they did literally just get a warband at the end of Direchasm so I’m curious to see (sea?) who else will be getting a warband this season. I’m pretty sure they have cycled through most of the factions at this point and everyone has had at least one warband. Maybe Games Workshop will go back to the factions that got warbands way back in Shadespire?

Kill Team Starter Set

Not much to say here, it’s the Octarius box rebranded? Looks like the starter set lacks the Octarius book but has a “Recruit Edition” book instead. It may also lack the Combat Gauges, cards and dice by the looks of it. I would say I’m surprised at the quick turnaround but thinking about it, Octarius was a one off box so Games Workshop needs a starter box for their new edition of Kill Team. After all, I don’t recall them waiting particularly long to break down the Indomitus boxset for Warhammer 40,000 Ninth Edition into starter sets. Oh well, I can’t complain as it means that I will be able to get my hands on the Death Korps of Krieg sooner rather than later!

Kill Team Chalnath

The first Kill Team expansion will soon be here, and it will pit the Sisters of Battle against the Tau. Specifically, Sisters of Battle Novitiates against Tau Pathfinders. For the former, as they are initiates they don’t have the pull power armour that the Sisters normally wear. It makes them look more nun than walking tank. Their habits do look a little goofy but overall I’m really impressed with how they look. I’ve been meaning to start collecting a Sisters of Battle force for a little while now, a squad of Novitiates seems like the perfect place to start.

Where the Sisters of Battle got a brand new kit, the Tau are getting an upgrade sprue for the existing Pathfinders kit. I suspect this will become a theme moving forward. Games Workshop tested the waters by including an additional sprue for the Cadian Guardsmen to breathe some new life into the old kit and the community reaction wasn’t immediate revulsion so I guess that gave them the go ahead. In a way, I’m a bit surprised that Games Workshop didn’t think of this sooner, it’s much easier and cheaper to smash out an upgrade sprue than to redesign a unit from the ground up. So I imagine we will be seeing a lot more units getting upgrade sprues rather than a new unit. Space Marines, both heretic and loyalist, would be ripe for getting upgrades for example. Genestealer cults as well come to think of it. 

All I’m saying is that Eldar and Tyranids had better get a new kit each because holy balls do they both need it. 

Day Two

Blood Bowl - The Skull Tribe Slaughterers

Dang, Games Workshop really will do anything except release a new Khorne Berserkers kit. Don’t worry, don’t worry, all these non-Warhammer 40,000 Khorne models are just practice for the real Khorne Berserkers right? Just think how good the sculpts will be! There might even be literal Blood Riots to get our hands on them! 

These Blood Bowl models are really nice though. However, I can't help but think swapping the handegg balls for skulls and they would make for some pretty good Khorne cultists. I mean, you could just mix and match some parts from the Necromunda Corpse Grinder gang and the Age of Sigmar Bloodreavers and Blood Warriors kits and you could make a veritable horde of blood worshipping cultists. 

Day Three

Warhammer 40,000: Black Templars Army Set

We knew the Black Templars were getting something with the reveal of the Emperor’s Champion a little while ago but a whole army box is a bit of a surprise. But a welcome one. Looks like everything except the Redemptor Dreadnought is a brand new model. The Primaris Neophytes’ bowlcuts do look pretty goofy but it totally works for the warrior-monk look. It’s nice to see the Primaris getting religious, we had a glimpse of it with the Bladeguard Veterans in Indomitus but these Black Templars are unsurprisingly jumping in feet first. I think most of all, this box gives me some hope as a Space Wolves player that we will be seeing more chapter specific kits that aren’t just a normal squad with an upgrade sprue. Primaris Grey Hunters when please Games Workshop?

More than the models though, that launch edition Codex Supplement with the John Blanche artwork from the third edition of Warhammer 40,000 is really really tempting for one simple reason. That’s where I started, way back in the day my uncle took my brothers and I to a Games Workshop store and bought us (amongst other things) that third edition box. I think I might still have the ruins that came with that box around somewhere. 

Necromunda - Outcasts Gang

A merry band of misfits kind of sounds like every gang in Necromunda to be honest. It has to be said though, at least the other gangs have a gimmick. The models do look nice but they seem to lack a certain character. They would make for some nice cultists or Imperial militia. We shall see though, I don’t (currently) play or collect Necromunda so maybe they will have some nice tricks up their collective sleeves. 

More interesting is that marketplace terrain however. I would love to have it for some little shanty market. As I already have some containers, they would be great for a dockside black market or something.

Warcry - Red Harvest

Not much to see or say here, seems to be a teaser for something spider related for Warcry. To be honest, Khorne worshipping giant spiders sounds hilarious. That being said, there is already a giant spider in the form of the Arachnarok. Whatever it is I’m sure it will look fantastic, if the previous releases for Warcry are anything to go by.