Rumour Bells Ringing Dark Elves and 9th Ed Rules?

Dark Elves, Brettonnia or Dwarfs? Rumours abound:

I would like to believe the DE Rumour (being one of my Fave armies)

4 October 2013
September 27th (pre-orders)

Condensing my net trawlings:

Dark Elves are due in October 2013, it is said be a complete new book and not just a wave
New elite infantry kit, possibly witch elves, executioners or black guards.
(If new witch elves, there will most definitely be a new Cauldron of Blood piece)

As expected Monsters and Flyers:

- New Multi-kit Hydra / Kar Karond Beast (Sea/Land/Flying Monster)  - two variations of hydra and Sea       Drake/Beast (flyer)
- Box of 10 new plastic Witch Elves
- Box 10 new plastic Executioners / Black Guard alt builds
- New Cauldron of Blood / Altar of Khaine. (Hybrid kit with old witch Elf or aura similar to EoTG called ?      Khaines blades?  a whirlwind of magic blades emitted by Khain's hatred.
- Blister Fine Cast Priestess/Crone/Hag of Khaine
- Blister Assassin  (Shadowblade)
- Blister Dark Fleet Admiral/Corsair Hero - more than Lokhir, who has become useless w make way rule.
- Executioner /Black Guard Hero Blister
- Plastic/resin  Morathi ?
- Plastic harpy kit with two options
- dual kit chariot ?

Rules:
- Dark Magic buffs up characteristics  of characters, transformation and wound recovery spells aka 5th      
  Edition.(Do we see the Black Horror spell back?)
- Sacrificial Dagger;  buffs the Cauldron of Blood in units (Skaven bell type.) ( 4 + and one per phase)
- Dark Fleet Admiral Hero buffs shooting skills  of unit
- Revamp of Assassins ? Cheaper and causing terror, better rules in keeping with their intent ?
-  Ability to use poison as an option across all Khainite Units
 - Multiple wounds and killing blow for executioners and Black Guard respectively .
-  Malekith more powerful than Teclis. (Doubtful)
-  Monster of the deep-Kar Karond (Sea Drake? ) more powerful than current Hydra

- The emphsis of the book lies around Khainite units (Kharond Kar, Hag Graef and Clar Karond

 So Monsters+Altar of Khaine+Khainite Units, Corsairs as focus.Dark Elves getting more destructive and poisoned attacks to cope w monstrous cavalry , many players' perception of the character each of the Elven races strengths in battle: DE - Offensive, HE - 
Defensive,  WE - Guerrilla warfare . 

The Elite/ heavy infantry definitely need something to help cope against the trend to Monstrous Cavalry:
Multiple wound attacks ( Execs used to do D3) and Killing Blow for Black Guard ? Thanks, that will do me just fine.

Rumours about 9th Ed?
From Tim the Thief on Faeit 212:

New Rumors for the 9th Edition of Warhammer Fantasy Release:

All Softcover Army Books will become obsolete with the new release.
The New Starter Set Boxes  will released at the same time as the Hardback Rule Book
The Set will include a Book called “Armies of Warhammer”, this Book will have simplified "beginner" Army lists for ALL available Armies. No full rule book - i.e. force you to buy a book and a starter set.

Armies of Warhammer will give Players a little view of all Armies and they Units, also it will be a transitional solution for the obsolete Army Books
Armies of Warhammer will be a part in the new Hard back Rule book
The Rule book in the Set will be a simplified “Starter or beginner " Rule book

A smaller complete Hardback Rule book will released too, called “Warhammer – The Rules”

Rules
The rule set will change again, GW has recognized the last Edition has had a hard impact on sales of Warhammer products. (read people are not buying it, and opting for the starter set instead)

The number of special rules will reduced
There will be no releases of Fantasy Supplements, the books will contain more background.
Page numbers up to 150 pages are possible!

The Father of Modern Wargaming Dies: RIP Don Featherstone

Sound the last post: Don Featherstone (1918-2013) 

The man who invented modern wargaming, has died.

After a fall and a short sick bed, he passed away yesterday. 

RIP Don, your books inspired me to take up wargaming as a hobby. 

I have never looked back. 

Thank you Don , and goodbye.

Rest in Peace.

More info:

http://wargamesobsession.blogspot.co.nz

Dark Elves: Waiting for the tide to turn

Druchii: Waiting for the Dark Elf Army Book

I have finally dusted off all of my Dark Elves, all have been magnetised, most based, and almost all have been fully painted. Still have to do the second Hydra, but patiently waiting for the New Army Book.

Sucked into the Arms Race that is Warhammer Fantasy (And 40K, for that matter, but have got rid of all of them critters...)

I have been spending most of my time expanding my WWII 20mm armies in expectation of Kursk later in the month, working on Soviets at the moment.

Had to clear away the half painted and partially painted DE's I had obtained as a cheapie off TradeMe in the process, so thought I may as well finish these and take a family photo:

So here they are, my Druchii Family:
(Click for full-size picture)

(LTR)

Back: 2 Repeater Bolt throwers, Dark Lord on Dragon, 2 x Cauldrons of Blood, 2 x Hydras 

4 x Sorceresses, Unit of 15 Witch Elves, 16 Cold one riders w mounted Sorceress and Malus Darkblade, 2 more bolt throwers

5 x Harpies Line-up of 8 characters, Unit of Shades, Unit of Dark Riders, 5 more harpies

Horde of Spearmen, Horde of Tower Guard, 2 Units of Executioners

Second horde of spearmen, Horde of XBowmen, another15 XBowmen, 2 Hordes of Corsairs 

Harpies

Corsairs

XBow Men

Spearmen 

So now we wait. What will the future bring? Likely monstrous cavalry, a monster or two, and flyers, if we can believe the trend. Probably a new Cauldron or similar boosting device, and new characters in fine cast - IMHO

White Dwarf Lizardmen Pics

Here they are, the first Lizardman Pics:
Blurry, but the 1st idea of what's coming. Dusting off my Lizardmen in anticipation!

Ripperdactyls, ridden, not vargeist-like monstrous units. Looking a bit more dynamic in this sculps

Gor-Rok, the great white warrior. New batallion box?

Skink priest, looking a little Orc-like in it's pose ?

Can't make out much on Tetto 'eko 

Now this I like! (Lizards really need some artillery/rocklobber type thingy.) 

Would be interested to see the stats and info

The alternative terradon build

New Carnosaur, less T-rex/allosaurish

More Lizardmen Rumour BOLS Lounge whispers

More Lizardmen Rumour - Whisperings in the BOLS lounge

More Rumours:

96 page full colour, hardback Army Book.

New Carnosaur: kit that makes one of four possible massive center-piece miniatures. 8 inches long by 5 inches tall: Can make an Oldblood on Carnosaur, Scar-Veteran on Carnosaur, Kroq-Gar on Carnosaur or Troglodon with Skink Oracle.

 Terradon/ Ripperdactyl Riders: Assembled as either 3 Terradons or 3 Ripperdactyls, flying cavalry mounts ridden by Lizardmen Skinks. Includes parts to upgrade one Terradon rider to the special character Tiktaq'to.

 Bastiladon: Bastiladon carrying either a Solar Engine or an Ark of Sotek. Presumed large monster

 Lizardman Skink Priest: Adorned in feathered plumes and carries a traditional Lizardman totem.

New Finecast Releases: 

                     Gor-Rok: Clampack -  Special Character particularly suited to close combat.

                     Tetto'eko  - A skink Priest on a Palanquin.

No mention of monstrous cavalry, makes you wonder if the Ripperdactyls will be Vargeist type Plague drones that could  can be fielded without riders. Skinks don't exactly pack a mean punch in combat...

Lizardmen Incoming: Rumours and Leaks

Warhammer: Leaked Lizardmen Photo or Bullsh*t?

Rumoured to release in August, the Lizardman Army book is causing all type of rumours:

Trolling the net with my own observations:

I would expect monstrous cavalry ? Carnosaur riders on the horizon ?
A "giant dinosaur kit" (bigger than the Carnosaur ? )
New plastic "Terradon" kit -Bastidon: about the same size as the High Elves Phoenix (Terrordon? )
Couatl (may be the alternative build for the "Bastidon" kit)
 - see I told told you, a giant flyer! The latest GW refrain? 
Finecast Slann and Carnosaur
Sacred Spawnings are  back

     

It was just a matter of time before Pokemon made their appearance in the Warhammer world

More Rumour:

New plastic carnosaur (singular); as well, or just finecast?
It may also be the first time in 8th Edition (to date) that a character will be able to ride the same monstrous beast as a unit in its army ?

Slann now becomes a multi-part plastic set - availability for a Relic Priest (Kroak, including Deathmask), a normal Priest, and a special limited edition plastic combination pack (similar to the Exalted Daemon Chariot) that combines a Stegadon and a Slann Priest to recreate Mazdamundi. In addition, they get access to Disciplines, but these may not be taken more than once. Reading into rumours suggests that Slann have Loremaster 

All Saurus armies become "viable" thanks to the return of Sacred Spawnings - units can purchase Sacred Spawnings like a Mark of Chaos, while characters get access to them off the bat.
One will allow them to join Temple Guard units, others will give benefits to specific units, like Magic Resistance or Devastating Charge (Sotek?), while others (like Itzl, or whatever the Cold One Riders are), are already included within their stats.
Razordons and Salamanders become a Dual part plastic Monstrous beasts + handler kits, 2 Monsters and 6 Handlers to a set.

Couatl model - working like a Terrorgheist in that it can be both a mount (rumours are to be available at sub-200 points to allow 2 to be taken for heroes in 2400 games) and a monster, presuming rare.
The Stegadons become special choices as well, with a unit "upgrade" to Ancient stats, and a weapon "upgrade" to didgeridoo blow-darts. 

Skink Priests gain access to Beasts as well as Heavens. In addition, Skink Priests may become "attendants" to a Slann - basically I read it as a Skink Priest option allowing it channel the same Lore the Slann itself knows. Reading into that suggests that Slann have Loremaster as standard.

The return of the Arcanadon - one thing that every non-lizard player is going to hate, a pokemon venusaur/stegadon crossover which takes in solar power to create a blast of magical light, in the form of a cannonball/stone thrower/flame cannon/breath weapon monster. Although nothing concrete about the presumed dual nature of the kit, it could possibly be a much "wanted" Thunder Lizard capable of making thunderstorms.
(I think this bit unlikely)

Apparently Nakai will return - an apparently unbreakable "autohealing" monster non-general hero choice.(This is more likely)

Picture turned up Trolling:, probably unrelated to the actual release? Or who nows?

source:

http://kaughnorscave.blogspot.ca/2013/06/leaked-lizardmen-photo.html

Flames of War in 20mm Battle Report from Sunday

FoW in 20mm: Battle Report:
My Falschirmjaeger get creamed

Kapiti Wargames Club had it's second open day last Sunday. We had a great turn-out, and I took the opportunity to play a 20mm scale FoW battle against my son Luc and a friend, Cameron

More photos on my WW2 Blog:

Wargames Obsession

Deploying before battle

(photo Jack Penman Photography)

Warhammer Slacker

Warhammer Slacker

Been a bit quiet on the Warhammer front for a while, been working at my 20mm Flames of War Armies, with the Kapiti Wargames Open Day coming up on Sun 30 June. 

Doing a demo game of FoW in this scale (1/72) Touching up my armies and armour; and basing them for FoW (Bases scaled up from 15mm to 20mm equivalent)

My son Luc and I intend to play a post D-Day game; Brits against Falschirmjaeger, with Divisional Panzer and Artillery support. Been working on my Russian army too, as we have an Armourgeddon Armour Clash (read Total War) to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the largest tank battle ever, the Battle of Kursk.

Not that Warhammer is ever far from my mind. Been following the blogs and posts, keen to see what happens with Lizardmen and Dwarfs in future. A little miffed with all the monstrous cavalry and flyers, death stat units that now seem to dominate the game. Call it Fantasy Fatigue.I really enjoy strategy more than deathstar clashes,

The club is running a Tamourkan event at the moment. I find it difficult to commit to campaign type games, much as I love them due to the nature of my work, so have not entered.

Kapiti Wargaming Club Open Day:Call for Help from FoWers

Kapiti Wargaming Club Open Day:

  Call for Help from FoWers

The Kapiti Wargames Club will be having an Open Day on Saturday 30 June 2013.

We hope to promote Wargaming regionally as a hobby and pastime as a whole, not just our club.

The event will be our second, with our first visit attracting well over a 100 visitors last year. 

(Infant steps yet) We plan to feature Warhammer Fantasy and 40K games, Flames of War in 20mm, Napoleonics/7-year war, and Starwars X-Wing games, and more

BUT we have run into a bit of difficulty finding members who are able to do a FoW Demo game in 15mm.

The date seems to clash with the FoW tournament schedule. :(

This is an appeal to regional FoW players not involved in the tournament. Would any of you be interested in doing a demo game on the day ? Any other period or scale is  of course also welcome. Just drop me a comment and we can discuss details.

Forgeworld Merwyrm

Forgeworld Merwyrm

When I first saw this model I thought Bleh! when I saw the first pics on the web.

I just saw this rendition on the Forgeworld website, (clicky) and the model looks a lot more appealing to me now. Available on pre-order.

Would look good with a retinue of River Trolls in a Storm of Magic Game. 

One for your Xmas list, (Pirate Greenskins) Nick?

Also like the Night Goblin Squig Gobba:

Drawback? The two together come to 102 UK Pounds, plus postage.