- Sep 23, 2009
- 2,841
Idle speculation and wishlisting is generally a waste of time, but we've got some time to waste over the holiday, so what undead related content are you hoping to see from GW this year?
Two Death battletomes have already been announced for this year, most likely Ossiarch Bonereapers & Flesh Eater Courts, as Nighthaunts already have a 3rd edition book and the Soulblight book was late enough in 2e that it was clearly designed with 3rd edition in mind. That said, an entirely new Death faction isn't entirely out of the question, and a slightly revised Soulblight Vampire battletome is also possible - we've seen similar minor/early updates in the past. Typically early revisions like that come alongside a 'second wave' of model releases, and between the outdated grave guard and missing absent mounted vampire lord, there's certainly room /for/ a Soulblight 2nd wave.
On the other hand, with the announcement of the limited edition Boxing Day ghoul king, I think we're now running low on undeadish rumour engine images, which doesn't exactly bode well for significant release waves of new models for /any/ death factions.
Hope springs eternal, though, so my wish list for Warhammer Undead in 2023 includes:
Battletome: Ossiarch Bonereapers 3rd edition, revising the Relentless Discipline rules to fit better with 3rd editions command point rules and revising unit entries to not depend on multiple simultaneous command buffs for effectiveness. Subfactions are re-worked in the nighthaunt style - minor special rules without additional restrictions on traits and artefacts. Lore includes the return of Arkhan, riding forth from the Nadiir as though he had never been destroyed, though he's behaving differently from before - more grim, more reserved, less snarky and confident. Internally, Arkhan is more sure than ever that he's not the original version of himself, mainly because this time around he's being haunted by the ghost of his immediate predecessor, or experiencing hallucinations to that effect, he isn't sure. Either way it's a defect he's desperate to keep secret from both his master and his rival mortarchs. Accompanying release wave of 3 model kits:
Battletome: Flesh Eater Courts 3rd edition, with standard 3rd edition rules update. One reduction in the warscroll range: no more abhorrent archregent. Instead the existing archregent becomes an official model for 'Ghoul King on Foot', and the terrorgheist kit is repackaged with a 40mm round spare base instead of the 32mm round. general improvements to the ghoul king both in the warscroll and in the trait & artefact options to make it more like the abhorrent in game. Otherwise a major release wave of several new model kits:
...
The Old World: bonus third entry, we've seen some art of tomb kings charioteers in previous old world previews, now show us some 3d mock ups of tomb kings model designs to confirm that they'll actually be getting a model line and not just rules support for models nobody can buy anymore.
Two Death battletomes have already been announced for this year, most likely Ossiarch Bonereapers & Flesh Eater Courts, as Nighthaunts already have a 3rd edition book and the Soulblight book was late enough in 2e that it was clearly designed with 3rd edition in mind. That said, an entirely new Death faction isn't entirely out of the question, and a slightly revised Soulblight Vampire battletome is also possible - we've seen similar minor/early updates in the past. Typically early revisions like that come alongside a 'second wave' of model releases, and between the outdated grave guard and missing absent mounted vampire lord, there's certainly room /for/ a Soulblight 2nd wave.
On the other hand, with the announcement of the limited edition Boxing Day ghoul king, I think we're now running low on undeadish rumour engine images, which doesn't exactly bode well for significant release waves of new models for /any/ death factions.
Hope springs eternal, though, so my wish list for Warhammer Undead in 2023 includes:
Battletome: Ossiarch Bonereapers 3rd edition, revising the Relentless Discipline rules to fit better with 3rd editions command point rules and revising unit entries to not depend on multiple simultaneous command buffs for effectiveness. Subfactions are re-worked in the nighthaunt style - minor special rules without additional restrictions on traits and artefacts. Lore includes the return of Arkhan, riding forth from the Nadiir as though he had never been destroyed, though he's behaving differently from before - more grim, more reserved, less snarky and confident. Internally, Arkhan is more sure than ever that he's not the original version of himself, mainly because this time around he's being haunted by the ghost of his immediate predecessor, or experiencing hallucinations to that effect, he isn't sure. Either way it's a defect he's desperate to keep secret from both his master and his rival mortarchs. Accompanying release wave of 3 model kits:
- Mortek Archers unit, providing an alternative battleline or at least battleline-if option with nadirite longbows.
- Ossiarch Necrosphynx: a large centerpiece monster kit that reflects the overall personality of the faction - strong, tough, slow, similar to the tomb kings warsphinx in form and function, though in the ossiarch 'bone and spirit nightmare monstrosity' aesthetic. Dual Kit with two options for what to put in a howda on top: Hero build with Liege that adds a buffwagon element to the monster's blunt melee impact, or a group or mortek soldiers crewing a ballista that fires bolts shaped from the thigh bones of gargants and dragons to add some ranged firepower instead, maybe with rules allowing the ballista to fire at whatever it wants even when the monster beneath it is locked in combat. Includes additional bases allowing you to field the liege as a stand alone infantry hero if you build the ballista version (again reference the tomb kings warsphinx), or alternatively to field the ballista & crew as a stand alone war machine if you build the liege version.
- Ossiarch Necropolis Walls & Gate - because that terrain was the thing I was most excited for in the initial OBR announcement trailers, and I'm still bitter that it was a custom studio display piece never intended for release.
Battletome: Flesh Eater Courts 3rd edition, with standard 3rd edition rules update. One reduction in the warscroll range: no more abhorrent archregent. Instead the existing archregent becomes an official model for 'Ghoul King on Foot', and the terrorgheist kit is repackaged with a 40mm round spare base instead of the 32mm round. general improvements to the ghoul king both in the warscroll and in the trait & artefact options to make it more like the abhorrent in game. Otherwise a major release wave of several new model kits:
- Ushoran - named character and faction leader. I imagine him modeled atop an ornate throne that is in turn atop an undead monstrosity of some type, or maybe a palanquin carried by especially large and twisted crypt horrors. Two builds, and two unit entries: "Ushoran, the Mortarch of Despair", writhing in agony, bound in chains to the throne, his head sealed in a strange arcane helmet/facemask/torture device reminiscent of the man in the iron mask. This represents Ushoran while he is under Nagash's control, the helm uses his power as the source of the Abhorrant Curse to dominate the wills of other Flesh Eaters, turning them to nagash's will, and as a side effect forces Ushoran into horrible lucidity and full awareness of reality. This unit is primarily a buff wagon, force multiplier, and spellcaster - representing Nagash channeling dark magic through the mortarch. Not much of a melee threat as Ushoran himself is bound in chains, though whatever's carrying the throne still has some brute melee power. Alternatively, "Ushoran, the Carrion King", unchained, unbound, shrouded in a 'regal robe' of tattered & stitched flesh, a thorny crown of bone adop his head, brandishing an enchanted sword and/or regal scepter, maybe a few ghoul courtiers on the palanquin attending to him, a look of regal command on his face as he surveys the battlefield. this represents Ushoran during those periods when he has slipped Nagash's control and been fully taken by his delusions, seeing himself has a noble prince and rightful ruler of Shyish/Nehekhara, leading a rebellion against the usurper Nagash and his villainous servants. This one's less of a buff wagon & spellcaster - though still has some of both - and more of a warrior in his own right, as the mortarch is free to make his own attacks, which are especially deadly against other Death units - maybe his weapon ignores wards? Maybe instead of the same person in different states, the two kits represent two entirely different individuals, with which is the 'true carrion king' left as an open question in the lore?
I understand that's altogether too much detail for a wish list entry, I kind of got carried away there. Any new FEC named characters at all will make me happy, that's just what I would do if I were in charge of coming up with one.
- plastic dual kit horror/flayer courtier - absolutely critical. The game can't require units to be fielded in multiples of box size and expect players to remove individual models from said boxes to make their heroes. The horror courtier should be carrying a children's toy stick horse made from a severed horse head impaled on a broken pike between its legs.
- plastic ghoul courtier stand alone model, re-imagined as a court vizier/advisor/mage with minor buffing and spellcasting ability, a cheap dedicated support hero.
- plastic varghulf - notably bigger & bulkier than before, but otherwise mostly keeping to the same design concept.
- dire wolves + fell bats - the same model kits as Soulblight Gravelords, but now shared between both factions, as with the unridden zombie dragon & terrorgheist
- mounted yoemen: ghouls riding either dire wolves or fell bats as a support/harassment unit with rules like forward deployment, run & charge, or retreat & charge.
- Banquet Wagon: a sort of corpse cart style healing & buff wagon minor centerpiece that powers up with the death of nearby models.
...
The Old World: bonus third entry, we've seen some art of tomb kings charioteers in previous old world previews, now show us some 3d mock ups of tomb kings model designs to confirm that they'll actually be getting a model line and not just rules support for models nobody can buy anymore.
