While I was up the Mountain GW quietly slit WHFB's throat

Is GW about to let Fantasy bleed out?

While I was climbing Mt Kahikatea on the South Island with a hundred 11 and 12 year olds last week, GW did something unspeakable to it's fluff and rules.

30 years of fluff about to bleed out into the dust?  (Click to Pete's blog article on this)

Speculation is now hotter than ever with the leaks and hints, and the direction that GW seems to be taking. Rage quitters and fanboys alike now wait with abated breath for 9th Ed.

Interesting (End) times indeed. The last End Times book, Archaon. Wrath of Khorne (yay!)
But:
Rip out the restrictions on army builds (with exception of having only one Army standard) Ouch... what about  tournaments and gentlemanly play. This is not cricket. Let all hell break loose!
Free-for-all is now the new black! May be something akin to a bar fight:

Khorne release: 

Some nice new models BUT with my growing insecurity about WHFB's direction, I am staying that hand that is straying to my wallet.
Looking to Saga on Gripping Beast and Wayland games websites instead for my monthly fix of plastic crack (Thanks for that term, Tim).

Really great new Khorne models, but I think no purchases from GW until 9th Ed comes and shows its true colours. I do love the Skarr and wrathmonger/skullreaper kits and the Skarr model, none the less.

Skarr Bloodwrath:
M4 WS8 BS3 S5 T5 W3 I7 A5 Ld8
Bloodstorm Blades: Magic weapons, +2S first round of combat, and grants Impact Hits(d3)
His Bloodborn rule is great.

Stat lines:

 

Formations in the last book brings us Boom-boom-shake-the-room-multishot dwarf canons 

(Last hurrah for the stunties before they join the Lizards, Orcs and Ogres on a trip into oblivion ?)

Bit of nerf in this one for Elves. Would rather dust off them dwarfs. Boom boom!

So, for me...I'll just sit and wait.

Paint some Turks or ANZACs to while the time away while we wait for 9th Ed and the things to come. 

Maybe some Saga when the books arrive. Maybe some FoW... 

Been watching the 3rd season of Vikings on Lightbox (The 1st 4 episodes) 

I would recommend it if you are a dark ages fan!

...Adding some impetus to my leaning to Saga.

Full image of Caravaggio's "Abraham sacrificing Isaac" (Uffizzi, Italy) 1603

Devine intervention stopping Abraham from sacrificing his son. I'm hoping something similar will occur to prevent the demise of WHFB as we know it.

Some viewers may have found the cropped image unsettling. Apologies if any sensitivities were disturbed, that was not the intention

Thanquol and Boneripper stats leaked - and what he will cost you ! More Furry Love to come

'Ere we go: End Times Skaven: Thanquol and Boneripper (v.XXX) stats:

Thanquol and Boneripper 650pts
M6 WS4 BS3 S6 T5 W8 I5 A5 Ld7 Monster (Special Character)

Magic: Level 4
Equpiment: Warpfire projectors, or Warpfire braziers
Large Target, Terror, Unbreakable, Blessing of the Horned Rat (4+ ward)

Warpstone Addiction: immune from suffering wounds from warpstone powers
Warpfire Projector: Boneripper may fire at two different targets each time resolved one at a time

Magic Items
Staff of the Horned Rat: +1 to casting rolls
Warp Amulet: 5+ each turn to regain 1 lost wound
Warpstone Tokens: D6+2 warpstone tokens

Warpfire Braziers
Combat, S+1, Flaming Attacks, Multiple Wounds(d3), Storm of Attacks(reroll failed to-wound rolls), Warp Fumes(all models in btb make T test or suffer a wound), Warpstone Weapon(magical)

Warpfire Projectors
S5 Flaming Attacks, Multiple wounds(d3), Move of fire, Quick to fire, Warpstone weapon(magical), Wildly off-target(hits friendlies within 12" on a misfire)

What the world needs now is Thanquol and Boneripper- the end is surely upon us!

Heaven for the Rat lovers:

So now it is Thanquol and Boneripper for the lovers of Furriness and Scurriness...

What the Warhammer World needs now for completeness of the end times is a gigantic ratogre with warpfire throwers/guns for arms- 4 of them. And of course, a massive model: Thanquol on Boneripper:

 Here are the leaked pics:

End Times 4: Skaven Incoming ! Veminlord sighted

So it is Skaven Next up! Verminlord in 5 incarnations sighted

First pics from the White Dwarf have leaked and advance order is open on the GW site:

Pete and Hamish lick your chops ! Verminlord options x 5, as big as Nagash. On the picture you can just make out Nagash's Sceptre and Spirit hots. That gives you an idea of the size of the Verminlord.

White Dwarf cover and the massive Verminlord, which is  one of 5 different builds from the Verminlord kit:

"Verminlords are living icons of ruin; towering figures possessed of raw power and feral savagery. As avatars of the Horned Rat they can call upon fell energies, manipulating the weak-willed into doing almost anything they will.

 Towering over the rest of the Skaven range, this is a fantastic centrepiece miniature that oozes menace.

 This multi-part plastic kit can be made one of five distinct Verminlords. Whichever one you choose to assemble, the legs and body are used as the core to then add the following details to:

 Verminlord Warbringer is armed with a doom glaive and punch-dagger and is notable for featuring a spiked helmet.

 Verminlord Warpseer is armed with a doom glaive and scry-orb.

 Verminlord Deceiver is armed with a doomstar (in the shape of the Clan Eshin rune) and a warpstiletto. It’s head wears a mask and hood to hide its features.

 Verminlord Corruptor is armed with 2 plaguereapers. It has a skull head with broken horns and a mane of long hair.

 Skreech Verminking is armed with a plaguereaper and a doom glaive and has a unique half rotten face.

 The Verminlord has 61 components and is supplied with a 60x100mm monster base.

....Now lets wait for the stats...

Images and description copyright GW, No infringement intended merely a fan...

The new Vermin Lord is as large as the Nagash model judging from the pics

The January release schedule is as follows:

10th (preorders Fri 2nd) is the new Vermin Lord

17th Thanquol End Times book and model

24th new unit, armoured rat ogres called Stormfiends plus clam pack Warlord and Grey Seer and re release of old Warlock Engineers

Stat Rumours ex Faeit 212:

Verminlord Deceiver is one of the builds from the new kit. He is a level 4 wizard that must have Skitterleap as one of his spells. Crazy number of rules. Immune to psychology, terror, scurry away, large target. He has a 5+ ward save, is a Rat Daemon with Daemonic Attacks, which makes all his attacks magical.

He can re-roll casting for skitterleap and all shooting attacks against him are at a -1.

He has a stiletto that is armour piercing and poisoned and a ranged weapon 12" that has poisoned attacks, quick to fire, and arced attacks, meaning he gets as many shots as what is in the first rank of the unit being targeted.

I'm sure you have seen the pictures by now, but he is huge with 6 wounds and a toughness of 6. Definitely crazy.

We saw the new cover art for End times 4. It's rat caster riding some Monster with a cannon. (Sorry not to familiar with skaven)

Plastic Vermin Lord to make 5 different kits: White dwarf 2 weeks from now will feature the release of a plastic vermin lord kit, will make 5 alternate models with different themes:

1. Eshin, 1 Grey Seer, 1 Warlord, 1 Moulder and one supposed "Vermin King".

Eshin one can be skitterleapt and gets re-rolls to cast skitterleap, grey seer one always gets 6 on the d6+1 part of warp lightning casts. No further information about the others or point costs, but allegedly he's going to be about the same dimensions as Nagash.

"Came the rules of the Great Deceiver infested, one of the five options of assembly for this new kit. Not everyone knows the rules in English, so let's see the translation.  Unfortunately there is a word not visible due to the reflection of light on the page, but it's just the name of a magic weapon, then you will not find a rule truncated."

English Tranlation (LOL: Google Translate, so you will need to "read between the lines" when the English gets wierd)

Great Deceiver Infested
500 Pts

M8 AC8 AB4 FO6 R6 FE6 I10 A5 D8
Type you Troop : Monster Character

A Great Deceiver Infested can be included in a Skaven army . His point cost falls within the maximum affordable for Lords .

MAGIC : A Great Deceiver infested is a Wizard of Level 4. One of his spells to be Agile Dodge ; the remaining can be generated by Knowledge Skaven Plague of Ruin or in any combination .

SPECIAL RULES : Immune to Psychology , Large Target , Terror , Street Racing (!) 

Demonic attacks : attacks made by a model with this special rule are magic . This includes any special attack , and draft Trampling .

Protection of the Horned Rat : a model with this special rule has a saving throw 5+ . Demon Rat : A Great Deceiver is a demon infested and is influenced by any rule , abilities , weapons , spells , etc. that affect the Demons . Can never be the General of the Army.

Wrapped in the Dark : enemy units that target the Great infested with a shooting attack suffer a -1 modifier to the attack roll , in addition to any other modifiers .

Walker in Darkness : A Great Deceiver Infested can repeat failed attempts to cast the spell Agile Dodge and can choose himself as the target of the spell .

MAGIC ITEMS :

Stiletto Warp : Magic Weapon . Attacks made with this weapon have special rules Armour Piercing and Poisoned Attacks .

??? : Magic Weapon . This is a missile weapon with the following profile : Height 12 " Force User Special Rules Death in Arco , Poisoned Attacks , Quick Shot

Death at Arco : a weapon with this special rule makes a number of attacks equal to the number of models in that range are in the front rank of the target unit .

In addition to the complete rules of the Great Deceiver infested , there is some small detail on other Great infest .

- All the Great infest have I10
- The third type of Big infested is called King of Worms Skreech
- The King of Worms Skreech always knows the Thirteenth Enchantment and repeated shots failed to launch it.
- The Great infested most expensive reaches 650 pts
Original Text (Italian)

Grande Infesto Ingannatore

500 P.ti

M8 AC8 AB4 Fo6 R6 Fe6 I10 A5 D8

Tipo ti Truppa: Mostro Personaggio

Un Grande Infesto Ingannatore può essere incluso in un esercito di Skaven. Il suo costo in punti rientra nel massimo acquistabile per i Grandi Eroi.

MAGIA:
Un Grande Infesto Ingannatore è un Mago di Livello 4. Uno dei suoi incantesimi deve essere Agile Balzo; i restanti possono essere generati dai Saperi Skaven della Rovina o della Peste in qualsiasi combinazione.

REGOLE SPECIALI:Immune alla Psicologia, Bersaglio Grande, Terrore, Via di Corsa!

Attacchi Demoniaci: gli attacchi effettuati da un modello con questa regola speciale sono magici. Questo include qualsiasi attacco speciale, da tiro e da Calpestamento.

Protezione del Ratto Cornuto: un modello con questa regola speciale ha un Tiro Salvezza 5+.

Demone Ratto: Un Grande Infesto Ingannatore è un Demone ed è influenzato da qualsiasi regola, abilità, arma, incantesimo e così via che influenzi i Demoni. Non può essere mai il Generale dell'Armata.

Avvolto nell'Oscurità: le unità nemiche che bersagliano il Grande Infesto con un attacco da tiro subiscono un modificatore -1 al Tiro per Colpire, oltre a qualsiasi altro modificatore.

Camminatore dell'Oscurità: Un Grande Infesto Ingannatore può ripetere i tentativi di lancio falliti per l'incantesimo Agile Balzo e può scegliere se stesso come bersaglio dell'incantesimo.

OGGETTI MAGICI:
Stiletto Warp: Arma Magica. Gli attacchi effettuati con quest'arma hanno le regole speciali Penetrazione dell'Armatura e Attacchi Venefici.

???: Arma Magica. Questa è un'arma da tiro con il seguente profilo:
Gittata 12" Forza Utilizzatore Regole Speciali Morte ad Arco, Attacchi Venefici, Tiro Rapido

Morte ad Arco: un'arma con questa regola speciale effettua un numero di attacchi pari al numero di modelli in gittata che si trovino nel rango frontale dell'unità bersaglio.



Oltre alle regole complete del Grande Infesto Ingannatore, c'è qualche piccolo dettaglio su altri Grandi Infesti.
- Tutti i Grandi Infesti hanno I10
- Il terzo tipo di Grande Infesto si chiama Re dei Vermi Skreech
- Il Re dei Vermi Skreech conosce sempre il Tredicesimo Incantesimo e ripete i tiri falliti per lanciarlo.
- Il Grande Infesto più costoso raggiunge i 650 P.ti.

End Times: 3500pt Dwarfs vs Glottkin, Guttrot Spume and the Blight Kings (well, sort of)

Wargames night,(now already several weeks ago) and Sam throws down the gauntlet.

He wants to run his great-looking Ctulu monster-thing as part of his intended Glottkin themed Nurgle Army in a End-Times game. Always up for a thrashing, I thought I'd run the army I'm workin' on at the moment:

Dwarfs. Vs Chaos Re-United. Daemons and WoC mortals all rolled into one with the end-times rules. Yeah right.

The Dwarf Throng of Karak Brakak eyeing the unimaginable horrors on the horizon

"Yeah right", many said. "Dwarfs? Didn't know you had a dwarf army. Never seen you play it. "

Actually I do, and yes, I recently dusted them off. And yes, I have not played them since 7th Ed. And yes, the dwarfish sit-and-wait-till-you-come-to me-and i'll-shoot-you-to-sh*t style of play does not really appeal to me. And frankly the dwarf book and the Dark Elf book was too close together for my wallet's liking. And I like DE's much,much better. So there...

Anyhow, I started building some hammerers and that organ gun that had been sitting on my shelf of shame for years; obtained the Dwarf book, and drew up an end-times army.
Sort of. Did not expect the dwarfs to be really competitive unless I took the gun-line. But that's not my style. Like to live dangerously, I do

Slayers strolling towards the Putrid Blightkings, Ungrim leading the way

So I went with a Slayer list, Longbeards and hammerers, 3 lords: Ungrim, a Dwarf Lord on Bearers in unit of Longbeards and Lord and Thane (BSB) with hammerers. Banner of Valaya on the Longbeards, 2 Rune priests; 2 x organ guns, flamegun and  cannon, dozen or so quarrellers with great weapons. Strollaz rune on Slayers.

Sam brought almost every horror that Nurgle ever created and marked aver WoC he had with Nurgle. Glottkin, Guttrot Spume, Putrid Blight kings, Furies of nurgle, Epidemius, plaguebearers, beasts of nurgle, spawn of nurgle. You name it, it was there. Stunties never stood a chance. Apologies for the poor quality photos- taken w my phone. Tried to castle. Sam went first, and it was game over for the dwarfs. Cthulu and the furies were too quick into the mix. He rolled nurgles rot repeatedly. My one organ gun never fired a shot, the rest of the artillery got in a shot each. Glottkin regenerated 'em.. Don't have the words to write a batrep. Too sad. Photos say it all.

Cthulhu ably standing in for the Glottkin

Maybe standing over would have been a better term..

Flood of Nurgle commences

Dwarf Lord and Thane going under in a tidal wave of Nurgle

Glottkin is soooo broken.

Armed my quarrelers with great weapons, so able to make a (slight) dent in Nurgle's puppy who was licking the last surviving flame cannon crewman to death. Not enough to kill it, and there was a conga line of more of 'em waiting

Death blows making a dent in the blight kings as the slayers meet glorious doom

Ungrim giving the thumbs up as he deftly slays the last of the putrid blight kings. He was the hero of the day for the dwarfs, in what was otherwise a bleak and one-sided contest

WHFB 9th Ed Rumour Bells from BOLS

So here is Xmas, let the bells toll.

The rumour bells, that is: Rumours from BOLS via Steve the Warboss:

9th Edition Warhammer Fantasy Battles:

The Work on the Rules has already completed

-One Profile for Mounted Units (like End Times units).
-End Times was full designed for the new Edition, the Books will be 100% compatible.
-No new Armybook releases until the New Edition is released.
-Empire in the starter set, the opposing army is undetermined.

-End times will maybe not mentioned in the Rulebook
-The Design Studio seems working on Siege Rules for an Expansion
-The Starter Set will return to "step by step" introduction
-No allied Matrix like 40k, we become something like "factions"
-GW plans the release for May, Starter will come in June

Ps. These are just rumours.

Druchii to Embrace their long-lost cousins, Woodelves the winners with models?

Khaine arises, but no model. HE and DE are now buddies. Even the Wood Elves join in.

Strange times indeed. So ASF rules. ASF rules and ASF rules

Leaked WD bits seem to suggest that the anticipated good times for the DEs is turning out to be a family reunion, with Tyrion turning out to be the Black sheep, and Malekith being the wronged one. No surprise then that he has been bitter for so many years.

As his model has not sold for decades due to the high points cost, and GW has a warehouse full of yukky dragons with a mediocre figure on it, dating back to the 90s, the DE's will not be getting a Malekith -ala- Nagash model (sigh) I really looked forward to this. Anyhow new rules will do, and I have a decent model on the (better) black dragon anyhow.

So to the leaks:
Statlines not out yet, only the pictures from the WD:

Shamelessly lifted off the interweb thingy

Maggoth Lords Statlines

Stat Lines for Maggoth Lords:

Archibald_TK from Warseer has the following information to add:
Combined statine again,

M6 WS8 BS3 S6 T5 W9 I7 A8 L9

- The character with the two axes is the leader, his axes give him +2S and poisoned attacks. If I remember correctly they all have S6 T5 as base stats, plus a load of W and A. See how ugly his face is?
- The wizard has a cloud of flies that attack units like a shooting attack and count as magical. Also he carries an item that give him +1 to something and -1 to the same thing to all enemy wizards within 12" so I suppose it's to casting checks or whatever wizards do in WFB. He's the one with the stone thrower attack. I'm also pretty sure he's the only one without a 6+ ward save.

- Morbidex Twiceborn is the one I was talking with the regen aura for Nurglings.

(Les) Maggot Lords: Tamurkhan is Dead: 3 Pretenders to the throne arrive

Maggot Lords bust out:The Maggot Lord is Dead. Three pretenders to the throne?

Rumours offa da net, and navel gazing/internet trawling insights

Alas, alack, Tamurkhan, the Original Maggot Lord is missing in action.He seems to have been swallowed by the void. He would have made a great maggot lord.

The Maggot Lord is dead?  Long live the (New) Maggot Lords...
Hey, where did Tamurkhan go? Forge World Site suddenly (more) sparse.

I went onto their website, and noticed that the already sparse fantasy offerings were growing thinner be the day. Tamurkhan is now also gone, as is the Slaanesh Greater Daemon. I have already remarked on the Empire models going in previous posts or comments.

I think the discounts on the Tamurkan book should have been a clue as tho what Nottingham was up to. Anyhow the King is gone, and in his place comes a corpulent pustule containing the (New) maggot lords. Must be the End Times, for sure. GW actually discounting something !

You've probably all seen the other leaked pics from the White Dwarf, so I'm not gonna elaborate. Pictures suggest a Daemon choice in DoC, not Chaos United in WoC, but the fluff will tell us eventually.

So what do we know?

" They all have 3+ armour save.
The puking one (Bloab) is a lvl. 3 mage and has a ranged attack st. 3(4) with 24 inch range That allows no armour save (vile bile) I think.

Morbidex Twiceborn has a 6+ ward save, fear, regeneration, mark of nurgle, eye of the gods and a st.6 range 6 poison attack, nurglings within 12" also get regeneration, 385 points maybe ?"
E60 price tag in EU, so with the GW special exchange rate for NZ somewhere between NZ $150 and $200

These appear to be DoC, no clear cross-over w WoC as yet, but likely some unholy alliance like tomb kings and undead in the wings

Speculation: 4 horsemen of the apocalypse deal, first death, now pestilence that leaves famine and war. Can we expect to see Archaon or Valkia leading the Khorne (War) release ?