ISSUE 23

5th July 2014

Editor: Jes Bickham
jes@whitedwarf.co.uk

Assistant Editor: Matt Keefe
mattk@whitedwarf.co.uk

Senior Staff Writer: Adam Troke
adam@whitedwarf.co.uk

Staff Writer: Daniel Harden
dan@whitedwarf.co.uk

Production Lead: Rebecca Ferguson
rebecca@whitedwarf.co.uk

Digital Editor: Melissa Roberts
melissa@whitedwarf.co.uk

Lead Designer: Matthew Hutson
matt@whitedwarf.co.uk

Designer: Kristian Shield
kris@whitedwarf.co.uk

Designer: Ben Humber
ben@whitedwarf.co.uk

Photo Editor: Glenn More
glenn@whitedwarf.co.uk

Photographer: Erik Niemz
erik@whitedwarf.co.uk

Photographer: Martyn Lyon
martyn@whitedwarf.co.uk

Distribution Lead: Andy Keddie
andy@whitedwarf.co.uk

Publisher: Paul Lyons
paul@whitedwarf.co.uk

Things are looking dire in the Sanctus Reach sector of Imperial Space: the mighty Ork warboss Grukk Face-rippa is on a bloodthirsty rampage known as the Red Waaagh! His campaign of slaughter ends one way or another on the planet of Alaric Prime, where the combined might of several Imperial Knight households and their courageous Cadian reinforcements mount a desperate last stand to blunt the Ork spearhead. Who will triumph in this most epic of battles?
This is the question asked by The Red Waaagh!, a new book for Warhammer 40,000 that provides the opening for the Sanctus Reach campaign. You can read what Adam thinks of it, while we discuss one of the book’s datasheets in The Rules, and Dan offers insight on how to play your own campaigns.

Elsewhere, ’Eavy Metal show us their favourite paint jobs and we take a look at some of the best Imperial Knights we’ve seen lately. See you next week!

Jes Bickham - White Dwarf Editor

The Waaagh! of Grukk Face-rippa has laid waste to several Imperial worlds as it rampages through Sanctus Reach. His next target is the Knight world known as Alaric Prime, and upon its soil the might of the Imperium will seek to halt the Orks once and for all.

Grukk Face-rippa is an Ork on a mission, a blood-soaked campaign to slaughter his way across the stars. He is exceptionally violent, even for an Ork Warlord, and worlds continue to fall beneath his rampage. As Grukk approaches Alaric Prime, Imperial Guard flood in to reinforce the Imperial Knights and the stage is set for an epic encounter.

The Red Waaagh! is a 112-page hardback book introducing the Sanctus Reach campaign. The opening portion of the book tells the story of the battle for Alaric Prime as Neru, master of House Degallio, and Castellan Stein of Cadia mastermind the planet’s defences against an invasion force of more than a billion Orks. This narrative is laced with acts of heroism, cowardice and outright savagery. The Cadians’ stalwart defence of the bridges across the Boiling River is utterly brilliant and the characters and heroes the story introduces nothing short of inspiring. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed reading a battle as much as when tank Commander Silas Ovik enters the fray.

Sanctus Reach: The Red Waaagh! isn’t just about the story; there is also plenty of gaming content to sink your teeth into. Twelve scenarios let you recreate the key events of the fighting, along with campaign rules to link your games together. There are also datasheets for five famous formations that participate in the action.

Grukk’s opening gambit is a planetary assault of epic proportions and The Red Waaagh! also includes new rules for planetary invasions in Warhammer 40,000 with updated Planetstrike rules and the Planetfall mission. These rules allow you to transform your battlefield into a hotly-contested invasion zone, where the attackers descend from the skies. AT

The cover of The Red Waaagh! contrasts the noble discipline of the Cadians with the raging savagery of the Orks.

The fighting on Alaric Prime is triggered by the invasion of Waaagh! Grukk, a force so powerful that if left unchecked scores of worlds will fall beneath its fury.

Many of the protagonists in the story are detailed with additional history, unit markings or background information. The Steel Host show themselves to be true heroes of the Astra Militarum as they blunt an Ork attack overrunning the proud Imperial Knights of House Kestren.

Designed with passionate Warhammer 40,000 collectors in mind, Sanctus Reach: Volume 1 combines The Red Waaagh! and Evil Sun Rising.

The story of Sanctus Reach is kicked off this week with The Red Waaagh! campaign book and the Evil Sun Rising novella. Sanctus Reach: Volume 1 collects both books into one fantastic volume, bound in gorgeous small format, foil-blocked books. While the content of these is the same as those described on pages 2 and 5 of this very magazine, it is the exceptional presentation which makes this collectors edition so appealing. AT

Sanctus Reach: Volume 1 comes in a small format, two hardback books in a sturdy slipcase.

Left: Evil Sun Rising is the novella by Guy Haley, and tracks the misadventures of Big Mek Uggrim.

Right: The Red Waaagh! is the opening instalment of the Sanctus Reach campaign.

Amid the anarchy of the Red Waaagh! Big Mek Uggrim and his Red Sunz Boyz must survive bitter rivalries and growing jealousy.

As Waaagh! Grukk bludgeons its way across the stars, the blood-daubed Ork ships approach a planet the humies know as Alaric Prime. Uggrim is a Big Mek whose stompa, Fat Mork, is coveted by Grukk’s right-hand Mek, the especially foul Mogrok. Against a tapestry of all-out warfare with the Imperial Knights and the disciplined tactics of the Astra Militarum, Uggrim and his crew fight to survive.

Evil Sun Rising is a cracking yarn that lets you into the mindset of Big Mek Uggrim (and his favourite Grot, Frikk). The story is told entirely from the Ork perspective, so expect lots of violence and a boggling array of Orkisms (especially insults). Entertaining and exciting, the story tracks the Fat Mork crew through the battles described in The Red Waaagh! and it’s really enjoyable picking out the moments you recognise. Haley has crafted the story so that the culmination of Evil Sun Rising ties in beautifully with the crescendo of The Red Waaagh! Expect carnage. AT

GUY HALEY SPEAKS

We asked known Greenskin-lover Guy Haley to tell us more about his latest novel, Evil Sun Rising. Jes Bickham translates from the Orkish…

Guy: If you’ve read Skarsnik, you’ll know I’ve got a thing about greenskins. I particularly enjoy writing the non-human races, finding a balance between sympathetic and inhuman, and colouring in the blank bits in their background. I see it as my job to make what they do seem both natural and believable. Greenskins are my favourite.

And there is so much cool stuff! I have every edition of the Codexes. I have pristine copies of the ‘Waaagh! The Orks!’ series from the early 1990s. Bill King’s Makari the Gretchin stories therein particularly inform my writing, but there’s bits of everything in my green tales, even Gobbleydegook (White Dwarf’s ancient goblin cartoon strip).

The key questions with Ork are how can they sustain their level of civilisation being the way they are, and how can they be funny but very menacing? I don’t hold with Orks being stupid, either.

When I was approached to write a novella for Sanctus Reach, I wanted to go for an Ork perspective again. There are some great characters in the campaign book, but I was itching for a chance to go back to the Red Suns Mob from Idol of Mork. Following a group of heroes through multiple stories is just as satisfying for me as it is for you, so naturally, you might expect the Red Suns to return… JB

Any Mek worth his salt will gather a band of like-minded Boyz around himself to try out his latest inventions and give him a hand when it comes to lootin’ scrap after the battle. In exchange, he’ll make sure they get the best gear and killiest weapons.

Meks are among the most kunnin’ of Orks, insane tinkerers with the uncanny ability to make amazing weapons and vehicles out of mountains of wreckage and scrap. While other Orks find their ways strange, the Trukks, Deff Dreads and weapons they make mean they are always welcome within the Tribe.

The Mek Mob boxed set contains an impressive selection of greenskins, with a trio of Meganobz, a Trukk Mob of 10 Ork Boyz and their Ork Trukk, a Deff Dread and an Ork Mek to lead them all into battle. One of the great things about this set is the number of options it presents: the Meganobz (who already come with a Grot Oiler) can be built either as three Meganobz or two plus a Big Mek in mega armour. The Mek has arms which are interchangeable with the rest of the Ork Boyz, and the Deff Dread has so many weapons you’ll end up with plenty of spares for your bitz box. All in all, the Mek Mob is a great way of kicking off (or adding to) your own Ork horde. AT

This month, incurable optimist Jeremy waxes philosophical about running out of time and how upcoming battles or painting sessions can keep even the busiest person sane.

I have met my true foe. Time and again I have run up against this opponent and been found wanting. Despite my best plans, I have been crushed beneath its inexorable tread. I’m not talking about any tabletop nemesis here – I am talking about my real foe, Time itself.

I have visions of battles I’d like to fight, models I want to convert, units I want to paint, terrain I want to build, campaigns I’d like to run, and the list runs on and on. However, my lofty ambitions and the amount of time I have to spend doing hobby-related activities could not be further apart.

All of this dawned upon me as I contemplated an upcoming battle. I have been invited to play in a big Warhammer game two Saturdays from now. Of course, by the time you read this it will doubtless be just another triumph in the endless string of tactical wonders I have unleashed upon my gaming friends. At the moment, the game is still in the glorious future. I am looking forward to a day hanging out with friends, playing Warhammer, and plying my unique brand of strategic genius while revelling in the spoils of war (by which I mean lots of beverages and food). As the big game was planned months ago, it has allowed me to arrange my schedule far in advance so that I am free all day.

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when it would have been possible to arrange such a battle on the spur of the moment. No more. The days I can dedicate to painting, modelling and gaming have become fewer and further between, an exception rather than the rule.

Whether you are a collector, painter, modeller, wargamer or someone like me, who dips into all those aspects, you’ve probably realised that they all demand time. It takes time to build and paint an army. I think the phrase ‘it’s not the destination, but the journey’ certainly applies in this hobby, as there is great satisfaction in watching a force grow model by model, unit by unit. I greatly enjoy the whole process – from the deliberation over what to purchase, to the assembly, the model preparation, the painting and gradually (at least for me!) the metamorphosis from assorted models into a cohesive army. But an enjoyable journey or not, sometimes there just isn’t time to get to everything.

I have recently missed more club gaming nights than I’ve made. I have set up battles in shops that I have been forced to cancel. I have reneged on nights I have set aside to paint. I have models stacked up for assembly and new units that are longing for some brushwork, but I’ve been too busy. Lately my hobby has taken a backseat to work, family, and the all-too-dreaded home repairs. (Surely DIY is the dreaded fifth Chaos god?)

Just because I’m short of time, however, doesn’t mean my zeal for the hobby is any less. It is still my ongoing quest to own a painted army so large that it shifts the Earth’s rotational spin. However, being so busy does mean that I am forced to do my hobby in less time. Where entire days or weekends could be dedicated to gaming, now I must make do with an afternoon session. I can find a few hours in the evening to paint but, with my other commitments, it might not be in a row, or even in the same evening.

All whinging aside, this is not meant as a lament over lack of time, but a reminder. Things have a way of piling up so that without planning ahead, you might well find your hobby time usurped. It is easy to be discouraged when the same unit sits upon your painting station for too long (I swear some models put down roots). Just because I can’t carve out much painting time, it doesn’t mean I can’t chip away. Even the odd 15 minutes here or there helps keep things moving. Smaller games can be played quickly, and longer sessions just take a little more planning – but even that has an upside.

With longer lead times between games, it is easier to play more involved scenarios. The upcoming match I am looking forward to is just such a battle. It will pit a coalition of evil armies against an alliance attempting to defend a fortified Empire town. The games master has handed out the basic story and already started mustering terrain from all the players. Naturally, I could not help myself and volunteered to bring a few items. This is my weak spot. Were I an enormous flame-breathing dragon, this would be the missing scale in my reptilian armour. I find myself incapable of resisting the idea of everyone chipping in with painted models and/or terrain. Perhaps it’s the camaraderie? Maybe it’s the idea of a group coming together for a greater whole?

I had been looking at the Deathknell Watchtower for a while now, and I always liked scratch-building stuff too. Of course, I agreed to this months ago – but have I started the terrain? Of course not. I’ve been busy! Regardless of how little time I have for my own hobby, I will readily agree to paint and build terrain or paint models for some scenario. I admit, I get more excited for scenery that fits my favourite armies but truthfully I’m just as easily suckered into trying my hand at anything. It is this slippery slope that has led me in the past to mass painting Termagants and building weird birth-sac terrain although I don’t own any Tyranid models.

As the game was planned months in advance, I reasoned I’d be able to squeeze in some extra hobby work. I always imagine I am almost over the hump of my next work deadline or home project, and will soon come across the promised land made entirely of free time. The fact that another deadline or obligation always rises has not yet overcome my boundless enthusiasm. I have plans to carve out a few hours this very weekend to start on the terrain. Whether you are a natural procrastinator, or simply let other things get in the way, there is nothing like a due date to act as a motivator.

So, here I sit, a few weeks away from the big game, anticipation building. Maybe I won’t have time to convert all the buildings I’d like, and maybe I won’t single-handedly provide an entire village on my own (to then be mercilessly destroyed, bwahahahaha!) but who knows? Two weeks is still a long way off. Ultimately, every project runs short of time – you can’t really beat old Chronos (or Father Time if you prefer) but that doesn’t mean I won’t go down fighting.

Jeremy is a long-time hobbyist and author of many army books, including Warhammer: Dwarfs. His column appears monthly in White Dwarf.

Sanctus Reach: The Red Waaagh! is released this week, and within its pages you will find the rules for Planetstrike, a complete expansion for Warhammer 40,000. Adam Troke turned to rules guru Jervis Johnson to learn more about the new expansion.

Jervis Johnson is the lynchpin of the Design Studio rules team, a mainstay of games development for three decades.

The opening gambit for any major invasion in Warhammer 40,000 is an all-out planetary assault as the attackers seek to gain a foothold against the enemy. These are explosive and bloody encounters where Mycetic Spores rain down from lurking Tyranid hive ships to disgorge their rapacious occupants, the ferocious descent of Space Marine Drop Pods heralds the Angels of Death, and the emergence of Eldar forces from the Webway signals the coming of an ancient foe. Against such an attack, defenders must aim their guns towards the heavens or all is lost. This is Planetstrike.

You see, nestled at the back of Sanctus Reach: The Red Waaagh! is a new, updated edition of Planetstrike for Warhammer 40,000. It’s a discrete eight-page addendum containing the rules you need to turn your regular Warhammer 40,000 gaming night into a tense planetary assault. Jervis Johnson explains more:

“In the Studio our writers come up with exciting and cool stories that form the heart of the books we work on,” Jervis says. “Once they are done, the rules team use their ideas to write rules informed by the stories. To take the example of The Red Waaagh!, the story describes how when Grukk and his Boyz arrive on Sanctus Reach they do so with a tremendous orbital invasion. We realised right away that the story created by Phil and the team presented an ideal opportunity to update the Planetstrike rules for the latest edition of Warhammer 40,000.

“Planetstrike is the expansion to Warhammer 40,000 that lets you recreate the fury of a planetary invasion,” Jervis says, when he sat down to explain it all. “As such, Planetstrike isn’t a strictly ‘even’ experience – one player takes the role of the defender while the other is the attacker. The defender prepares the gaming table, arranging it into a challenging defensive position for the attacker to assail. Both players then choose armies that reflect the nature of an invasion situation, using the special Planetstrike detachments (of course, they’re free to use alternative force selection methods, even Unbound armies, but the Planetstrike detachments have some serious advantages). These detachments focus on the roles of attack and defence, so the defender gets additional Heavy Support resources while the attacker can draw on more Elites and Fast Attack units. Finally, both players get to choose Stratagems which represent the dirty tricks and tactics used to gain an advantage. These range from dropping burning debris from outer space onto the enemy forces to directional void shields that protect your fortifications.

“Also in The Red Waaagh! is the Planetfall scenario, which gives you the parameters for your game,” Jervis adds. “This is the key to unlocking Planetstrike, since it incorporates all of the above, and some very important special rules. In Planetfall the defender sets up the board, complete with fortifications and defences, and places six objective markers on the battlefield. He can also deploy his troops anywhere on the tabletop since the attackers will be dropping in from the skies thanks to the Shock Tactics special rule or roaring into battle from a their drop zones. The stage is then set for your Planetstrike to begin.”

Once the battle starts, a game of Planetstrike has the feel of all round warfare, as enemy troops descend onto the board, guns blazing. Perhaps more so than any other style of play that Warhammer 40,000 has to offer, Planetstrike has a frenetic pace as the attacker unleashes his firestorm and follows it up with a massive aerial assault. Before he can gain a foothold, however, the defender will launch his counter attack, the weapons on his fortifications blazing as he seeks to dislodge the invaders. The result is, almost without fail, a thrilling back-and-forth battle as both armies fight to the finish over critical objectives.

“Perhaps my favourite thing about Planetstrike is how versatile it is,” Jervis says by way of conclusion. “If you and your friends are looking to kick off a campaign of linked battles, there really is no better way to get things started than with a game of Planetstrike as the attackers launch their invasion, and Warhammer 40,000 is packed with examples to inspire you.” AT

PLANETARY INVASIONS

THE PALACE OF THORNS

The end of the Badab War saw the Star Phantoms Chapter spearhead a gigantic planetary assault into the heart of the Tyrant’s fortress, the Palace of Thorns. Hundreds of Space Marines descended in Drop Pods in a battle that would finally rout Huron Blackheart.

RYNN’S WORLD

Waaagh! Snagrod smashed into the Crimson Fists home world with devastating effect. During the assault the Chapter Monastery was utterly destroyed.

SONDHEIM V

M’Kar the Reborn is stymied when first the Tyranids and later the Grey Knights made planet fall on the agri-world of Sondheim V. The battle swung in the favour of the Grey Knights when they called in an orbital bombardment and relied on their armour for protection.

’Eavy Metal is a regular feature looking at beautifully-painted Citadel miniatures. In this issue, members of the ’Eavy Metal team pick their favourite model painted by another member of the team.

Neil Green is an ’Eavy Metal veteran. Having painted everything from Space Marines to Skinks, he’s a veritable font of painting advice.

Simon Adams: The Lizardmen Skink Priest is an exceptional miniature and I think Neil Green did a brilliant job painting it. When we worked on the Lizardmen, I suggested painting the feathers in really bright colours. It was both an honour and a pleasure to see Neil use one of my ideas and turn it into something so exceptional.

Neil Green: Lizardmen are characteristically vibrant and the Skink Priest is no exception. The feathers are very bright, but they serve to frame the Priest’s face, drawing your eye to the focal point of the model. Something I wanted to convey was the Skink’s age. Compared to others of his kind, his skin is more leathery and washed out, which I achieved by mixing a spot of Screaming Skull into the skin tone for the final highlights. Painting the feathers involved a combination of glazes and blending. I painted the whole feather with Flash Gitz Yellow before washing it with Cassandora Yellow for the orange end and blending through to Moot Green for the green end. There are lots of subtle glazes and blends to get the smooth transition between the colours. My tip is to use thin layers and build up the colour gradually to get the desired result.

Whether talking about blending or colour theory, Tom Winstone is always willing to share his painting tips and tricks.

Dave Perryman: I’m a big fan of the Valkia the Bloody that Tom Winstone painted. I particularly like the skin tone he achieved on the model – Valkia is pale and starkly bright compared to her armour, while her wings are sore and scarred, like they’re fresh mutations.

Tom Winstone: Valkia wears the traditional red and brass colour scheme of Khorne. Because she’s a character model, I wanted to add a little extra colour to her and originally the flames around her feet were painted an ethereal blue. While it looked good, it didn’t really fit with the feel of Khorne – he’s not into magical flames, real ones are much more to his liking. The place where I did inject a little colour was the shield, which features the face of a Slaanesh Daemon. I used washed out purples and greys to get that Slaaneshi feel, giving it bright blue eyes to add contrast. The rest of Valkia remains true to the Khornate palette. Her skin, while pale, is not cool. That would suggest a blue tone like you see on Vampire Counts. Its base tones are actually red and brown like the rest of the model. Her mutations (wings, hooves, horns and elongated head) are all blended up to black. DH

See more of this month’s fantastic offerings from ’Eavy Metal in Warhammer: Visions issue 7.

Crusading armies, siege warfare, planetary domination and loads of maps: campaigns are a great way of enhancing your games of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000. Here, Dan explains what playing in a campaign is all about and why they’re so much fun.

Dan is always looking for new ways to play his battles. With the release of The Red Waaagh!, he’s got campaigns on his mind.

A campaign is a series of battles linked by a narrative storyline. My first encounter with the term ‘campaign’ was way back in White Dwarf 199, which came out some time in the mid-90s. Andy Chambers wrote about a series of games he was playing with his friends in which Orks battled against Dark Angels on a planet known as Piscina IV. Their battles raged on for several months until, finally, the Imperial forces prevailed. Andy’s campaign later became the story for the Storm of Vengeance campaign pack and the story is now firmly rooted in the history of Warhammer 40,000.

My 12-year-old mind (which Dan still has… - Ed) was instantly captivated by the idea of a campaign. I played a lot of games at that time and the idea of linking my battles with a story appealed to my sense of narrative. Sadly, my organisational skills weren’t the equal of my imagination and I failed to galvanise my friends into action. There endeth my campaign dreams. Until January just gone, that is.

“I’m thinking of running a campaign,” says my friend Luke in our post-Christmas catch-up in Bugman’s Bar. “If you’re interested, that will make six of us.” Before I could reply, he dived into his bag and pulled out a folder crammed with maps, charts and campaign ideas. Five minutes later, he had his sixth player. Interestingly, Luke’s reason for running a campaign is completely different to mine. Having just moved house, he’d been without a game for months. This was his way of making up for it. The good thing is we both still get what we want out of it. Luke gets regular battles to feed his habit, while I get to develop a story for my Orks. (You can read what hobbyists Andy Keddie and Duncan Rhodes have to say about their own hobby motivators over the page.)

Campaigns can take many different forms, from a series of linked scenarios to a map-based campaign where players win by conquering territory. We’re all secret megalomaniacs at heart. Our campaign combines a narrative story and a map with territories marked out in a hex grid. Each of the six players has a starting point on the map and we gain territory by winning games. The overall goal of the campaign is for the forces of evil (Orks, Tyranids and Chaos) to destroy the primary hive city. The forces of good (Astra Militarum, Space Marines and Eldar) have to protect it and give them a kicking for their insolence.

Our campaign follows the system as presented in Planetary Empires, each campaign turn representing a period of time in a military campaign. Because we’ve split into good and evil forces, we play three games per campaign turn, one against each player on the opposing force. Then we tot up the results and claim our newly-won territory on the map, a fun conclusion to a day’s gaming.

All of this makes campaigns a great social event. Organising hobbyists can be likened to herding cats, but if you plan it well in advance, you can make a whole day of it, with everyone participating in a round-robin of war. It’s fun to have teammates fighting alongside you, offering encouragement or sympathising with your bad dice rolls. Or, in the case of Team Evil, mocking each other for their choice of units, tactics, dice, mascots and whatever else a defeat can be blamed on. Lunch is normally punctuated by discussion of our last battle, followed by a round of trash-talking as we try to intimidate our next opponent. We quickly discovered that Jed is quite a trash-talker. Sadly, he’s also a very competent tactician, which makes his jibes all the more infuriating. It’s all good-natured, of course, and fun to boot.

Campaigns also offer a great opportunity to get to know your army better. Because you’re playing lots of different people on a regular basis rather than the same guy each week, you find what works against one opponent may not work against another, prompting you to tweak your army list to compensate, or change it entirely in some cases. Our campaign has already become an arms race, mainly due to Jed’s Salamanders (see left) and their ridiculous number of flamers. The three armies on the evil side are all infantry-based and lightly armoured, making Jed’s army the perfect foil for us, which is why he’s currently dominating the campaign map. Jack, frustrated with his Cultist’s lack of faith (and flame-retardant clothing), has exchanged some of them for Thousand Sons. Barry’s chittering hordes have adapted, the smaller Gaunts making way for Monstrous Creatures. My Orks have taken to riding around in a Battlewagon.

Escalating your battles is also a great way to start a campaign. Starting at 500 points, or even with Kill Teams, enables players to paint a few units before moving on to their next ones. It’s also a great way to represent the opening moves of a military campaign, your scouts scoping out the enemy positions. Our battles have now escalated to 1500 points, and three-a-side Apocalypse games are being suggested for the final battles around the hive city (if the forces of evil ever get there, that is…). Our games have already spawned many entertaining anecdotes which, for me, are one of the main reasons for playing it. I have no doubt we’ll be talking about these battles for years to come. Luke, especially, will never let me forget what a fire barrel strapped to the hull of a Leman Russ did to my Warboss, that’s for sure. DH

MIGHTY EMPIRES

One of the best and easiest ways to run a campaign is to use the rules and tiles provided in Mighty Empires (for Warhammer) and Planetary Empires (for Warhammer 40,000), which are available to order from games-workshop.com.

The rules set is incredibly simple and makes planning a campaign both fun and easy without getting buried under reams of paperwork. After playing your battle, simply consult the chart in the book to see how many campaign points you have earned and spend them on taking territory, fortifying your land or adding units to your army. The map tiles that come in the set can be painted and arranged in hundreds of different ways to create your campaign map. Will you paint them as a forge world or a backwater death world? Or perhaps you’ll recreate the desert cities of Khemri or the Border Princes? Whatever setting you choose, Mighty Empires is a great visual aid for your campaign.

A SCORE TO SETTLE

Campaigns are a fun way to develop the character and personality of your army. We’ve only been playing our campaign for a couple of months, but my Orks have already developed a bitter hatred for my friend Jed’s Salamanders, having been defeated by them in all bar one battle. Having found them almost immune to flame-based weapons, I have made it my mission, daft as it may seem, to kill one Salamander (I’m not picky which one) with a skorcha before the end of the campaign. Just once, I want them to know how it feels. Interestingly, Jed has a grudge of his own. Vulkan He’stan (curse his name) has never defeated my Warboss in combat, despite issuing a challenge in every battle. It’s a race to see who fulfils their grudge first.

TYPES OF CAMPAIGN

1. The Map. Probably the most common type of campaign, they are easy to run using Mighty or Planetary Empires. You win by claiming the most territory by the end of the campaign.

2. The Tree. A narrative campaign, the outcome of a battle influences what the next scenario is. For example, a massive defeat leads to a rearguard action as the defeated army tries to escape.

3. The Ladder. Another form of narrative campaign, a ladder involves a series of pre-planned scenarios where the outcome of each affects the whole campaign. Sigmar’s Blood is a great example of this type of campaign.

4. The Escalation. Each player starts with a small army that gets bigger after each campaign turn, normally by adding a new unit. The winner is determined by the number of wins throughout the campaign.

STARTING A CAMPAIGN

1. Choose one person to organise and run the campaign. It’s good to get input before it begins but, as the saying goes, too many cooks spoil the broth.

2. Have a goal. Whether it’s total conquest of a map or the destruction of a key target, make sure there’s a clear way to determine the winner.

3. Set a game limit. A campaign that lasts years may sound cool but in reality it will probably flag. If the goal is achieved in a certain number of games, that player wins. If not, the other player does.

4. Pick a reliable crew. If you’re playing a campaign you’ll want to get games on a regular basis, not spend three months waiting for ‘that guy’ to become available.

5. Organise teams. Not only does it enable larger, multi-player games but it also makes it easier to organise and play your battles (i.e. good versus evil).

BLOOD IN THE BALANDS 2

The key feature of Duncan Rhodes’s Warhammer campaign is his Mighty Empires map over which the players fight. “Last year I ran a campaign based on Blood in the Badlands,” says Duncan. “After one year, the person with the most territory on the map was declared the winner. Over the course of the campaign we came up with new scenarios to play, added new units to our armies and developed a story for our heroes. It’s great fun seeing your army grow and develop over time. The five of us involved had so much fun that we started a new campaign this year. I even made a new map, which attaches to the last one. We’ve only played a few campaign turns so far, but our forces are already developing their own characters. One of my friends has asked if he can field a Zombie Giant after his Vampire Counts nibbled one to death, while Studio painter Chris Peach has started a new Dwarf army and secreted them in the map’s mountainous region, daring anyone to come and fight him.”

THRONE OF TREACHERY

In the White Dwarf office, Andy Keddie has also started a Warhammer Campaign with no less than 12 eager participants. “I love writing scenarios for games,” explains Andy. “I aim to write one each week, the outcome of each game affecting the next scenario I write. If everyone can make it, great, if they can’t, there’s always another battle next week. The goal of the campaign is for each player to have a new Warhammer army by the end, we’ll then take our armies to a Throne of Skulls gaming weekend and see how we do with our new forces. The campaign is an opportunity to build up our armies a few hundred points at a time, painting our models as we go, trying out new units and having a good laugh at the same time. Both myself and Jamie Forster are using the models we’re painting for Armies on Parade in the campaign and after one game of Triumph & Treachery we’ve already got a fierce rivalry going on. I overheard Jamie asking people for spare Elf bits to adorn his bases. Typical Dwarf.”

Paint Splatter provides handy tips and stage-by-stage painting guides for the week’s new releases. This week, we break the mould and take a look at Citadel Glazes and how they can work wonders on your miniatures.

The Studio army painters are a talented bunch, able to paint entire armies to exceptional standards in just a few weeks. Upon asking “what can you all tell me about Glazes?” Dan was promptly bombarded with information by Aidan Daly, Steve Bowerman, Chris Peach and Natalie Ann Slinn.

“Glazes alter the hue of a colour,” says Aidan Daly. “They are a great way to enhance a colour adding richness and depth to make your model more vibrant. A good example of this would be the models in our Zhufbar Dwarf army. They wear lacquered blue armour, which could look very pastel. A layer of Waywatcher Green Glaze made them a lot more vibrant.”

“I did the same thing with my Talabecland State Troops,” adds Chris Peach. A Bloodletter glaze over their red clothes makes them appear darker, while a Lamenters Yellow glaze makes them look brighter. It adds variety to your units.

“While Glazes look like Shades, they shouldn’t be used in the same way,” continues Chris. “When applying a Shade, you apply a fair amount so it pools in the recesses, creating an area of shadow. With a Glaze you want a thin, even layer (1), so apply it sparingly. Use a brush that’s appropriate for the task. For large areas, a Standard Brush is ideal, while you’ll want to use a Detail Brush for smaller areas. If you put too much on, use a fresh brush to soak up the excess before it pools.”

“Glazes are a great way to tie your colours together,” says Natalie Ann Slinn, “especially if you’re drybrushing your highlights on. They help smooth the transition between your colours and make the highlights look more natural and less dusty (2).” This technique works well on fine edge highlighting, too.

Matt Hutson used this technique when painting his Dark Elves, applying a Bloodletter Glaze directly over their black armour to tie it to the red edge highlights (3).

“Because of its high pigment you can even put a Glaze straight over a Skull White undercoat,” explains Aidan. “Lamenters Yellow works really well for bright models such as Iyanden Eldar (4)…”

“…Or feathers on Lizardmen or Empire characters,” chimes in Steve Bowerman. “If you’re painting a feather with several colours a Glaze over the whole thing will help blend the colours nicely without you having to mix your paints (5).

“They also work really well over silver too,” adds Steve. “The Studio’s Tzeentch Warriors of Chaos and Grey Knights both have Guilliman Blue applied directly over silver armour. I also use it for Eldar and Elf swords to make them appear magical and powerful (6).”

A GALLERY OF GLAZES

Glazes can achieve a range of results depending how you use them (7). The Hammerer has a layer of Waywatcher Green on the blue parts of his armour to make it more vibrant. Matt’s Dark Elf has a Bloodletter Glaze applied over the black armour to help tie it to the Khorne Red highlights. The Iyanden Eldar Guardian has a Lamenter’s Yellow Glaze applied directly over Skull White Undercoat to get the main colour of the model. It was then shaded with Casandora Yellow. The Warrior of Chaos has a Guilliman Blue Glaze applied directly over his silver armour.

CREATE YOUR OWN GLAZES

Sometimes you’ll want to create a glaze of a different colour – purple and orange spring to mind. This is where Lahmian Medium comes in handy. By mixing it with another Citadel Paint (Layer paints and Shades work best), you can create your own Glazes.

Put a dab of your chosen colour on a palette with an equal amount of Lahmian Medium (1). Mix the two together (2) and add more Lahmian Medium if the paint is too thick. It should be the consistency and opacity of milk, not too thick to be a layer, not too thin to be ineffective (3). Apply your glaze using an appropriate brush – a Detail Brush for small areas, a Standard Brush for large ones (4).

Every Imperial Knight is an alliance of Noble pilot and towering suit of Knight armour, and behind each lies a legend of heroism and sacrifice. We examine the stories that have inspired a trio of models.

Adam: In the months since the Imperial Knights exploded onto painting stations and battlefields around the world, thousands of hobbyists have poured hours of passion and devotion into painting and modelling these titanic war machines.

One of the captivating aspects of the Imperial Knights is their background, and the fact that each has its own history and story, some of which span hundreds or even thousands of years of history. This is something that painters, almost universally, enjoy adding to their own Imperial Knight models, creating a colour scheme and heraldry of their own and a rich backstory to compliment it. Here we present three examples of Imperial Knights, and how their creators have integrated them into their collections.

SIR TORJEF THE OATHSWORN

Robin Cruddace: I always get carried away with the background behind my models and even keep a detailed account of the names and history of all the squads and heroes in my army. Sir Torjef, piloting Hawk’s Duty, is a proud knight of House Hawkshroud who found himself fighting alongside my Howling Griffons strike force against the Tyrant of Badab. During that campaign my army adopted a double-quartered pattern as their campaign markings, but when the fighting ended and the Tyrant remained at large, my strike force refused to repaint their armour. Sir Torjef was impressed by the duty and diligence of the Space Marines and pledged himself to the same oath: until they had hunted down and avenged themselves upon Huron Blackheart, he would remain with the Howling Griffons, his Knight suit painted in the mutual heraldry of house and Chapter.

Besides the quartered colours, there are other links to my Howling Griffons, such as the black casing on the reaper chainsword and rapid-fire battle cannon which is the same as my bolt guns. Not to mention, of course, the Chapter badge that sits within the Noble’s personal heraldry.

MAXIMUS OF HOUSE FEARDRAKEN

Mark Bedford: My idea for this Imperial Knight actually started off with the sliver of an idea. At first all I knew was that I wanted to paint it in a striking sky blue colour scheme, something undeniably knightly and heraldic. The rest of the ideas came from there. Glancing across the transfer sheet I saw the sea creature of House Degallio and decided that would be a great motif to use on my Imperial Knight. It implied to me a water-locked world where in ancient days the Imperial Knights were forced to battle giant sea creatures to protect their people.

As I worked on my model the name that came to mind was for my Knightly House was Feardraken. I can just imagine the nobles in ancient days adopting the name of the creatures they battled in an effort to strike fear into the hearts of their foes. With that in mind, I looted the transfer sheet to make the heraldry of my Noble and his House, with the serpent as the house emblem and also the crossed lances and haloed sword. There is such a range of transfers on the sheet that comes with the Imperial Knight that even if you don’t have one that quite suits your needs you can usually adapt one to your purposes – hence the sword with the cog-halo behind it is two transfers, one laid upon the other, as are the crossed lances on Maximus’s leg plate. Finally, I wanted Maximus to look like he was constantly at war, so I’ve weathered him quite extensively, with dusty armour and heat-damage on the barrel of his gun.

XANTUS THE RED FURY, OF HOUSE KRAST

Stuart Black: Like many other hobbyists out there, I have a number of armies for Warhammer 40,000 in my collection. My new Imperial Knight is part of what I refer to as my ‘Armies of the Imperium’, which already includes Imperial Guard and Space Marines. I have quite a bit of scenery, and one of my recent additions is an Adeptus Mechanicus research station, which is made out of all sorts of Warhammer 40,000 scenery kits. I chose to paint my Imperial Knight as a member of an Adeptus Mechanicus aligned house, so that he could be the sworn protector.

Reading the Imperial Knights Companion, I was especially taken with the background of House Krast. I liked the way they rose up in the wake of Horus’s betrayal and have remained staunch allies of the Imperium and Adeptus Mechanicus. Even their emblem – ‘the Gauntlet’, a mailed fist crushing the serpent – looks great, and is a nod to their bitter enmity towards the forces of Chaos. House Krast’s home world, Chrysis, is also located quite centrally within the Imperium, so it’s not a big stretch to imagine my Imperial Knight fighting in any place in the galaxy.

Something people sometimes ask is why I left the faceplate off, and the reason is actually quite simple: when I was painting Xantus I was so happy with the job I had done on the face beneath that I left the faceplate off. My next plan is to do a second Imperial Knight to fight alongside the Red Fury. AT

See a Parade Ground of yet more stunning Imperial Knights in Warhammer: Visions issue 7.

KRESTALLAN

Most notable Imperial Knight Houses hail from a specific Knight World, their seat of power and the location of their stronghold. For House Hawkshroud this is the feudal world of Krestallan. While the Noble pilots dwell within their mighty fortress, the remainder this bleak world’s populace toil endlessly, eking a miserable existence from the land, bereft of mechanical might.

Krestallan is located in the Ultima Segmentum and enjoys relative safety thanks in part to its proximity to Baal, the home world of the Blood Angels. Even so, the head of House Hawkshroud, Viscount Tudon, remains deeply concerned, for the nature of his warriors is that they will travel far and wide, often becoming Oathsworn for decades to a far-flung cause. Should Krestallan ever come under direct attack, Tudon has doubts as to whether the strength on the planet alone would be sufficient.

THE LOYALTY OF THE HOUSES

Among the many Imperial Knight Houses there are two key divisions of allegiance, as houses are sworn in oaths of loyalty to either the Imperium or the Adeptus Mechanicus. Even within these two broad spheres of loyalty there are a great many differing attitudes.

House Hawkshroud, for example, is famed for the enthusiasm with which they answer the call to arms from their Imperial allies, travelling far and wide in their efforts to battle alongside those who have earned their loyalty. One tradition that spawns from this sense of obligation is the way that Noble pilots often adorn their Knight suits with the imagery of those whom they have fought beside and found to be honourable. Thus, a Hawkshroud Knight may take up the heraldry of an Imperial Guard regiment, Space Marine Chapter or Order of the Adepta Sororitas. These typically appear on knee plates, banners or the front left shoulder armour, where a Noble pilot displays his personal device.

In contrast to House Hawkshroud is House Krast, who are sworn to the Adeptus Mechanicus. Far from chafing beneath the controlling ways of the Machine Cult, the Noble pilots of House Krast rejoice in the benefit it brings them. The most skilled sacristans outside those of Mars itself labour long and hard on Chrysis to make the Knight suits of their house perfect in every conceivable way. In turn, Krast’s unswerving loyalty to the Adeptus Mechanicus provides the Priesthood of Mars with a cadre of skilled warriors, ready and willing to do their bidding.

In the battle for Sanctus Prime, it was the Steel Host of the Cadian 1652nd Regiment that bought the Astra Militarum and Imperial Knights time to reform their tattered lines upon the banks of the Boiling River, pulping the enemy with their roaring cannons.

FORM LINE. CHARGE

Not only does Adam have a tank-oriented Imperial Guard army of his own, but he has become quite smitten with the heroics of Tank Commander Ovik. Tanks, he reckons, are the answer to all ills.

First of all, I have to proclaim what an excellent Datasheet this is. Not only does it enable you to recreate one of the most exciting moments in The Red Waaagh!, as the Steel Host ride into battle, but it’s also downright deadly on the battlefield.

With my own Leman Russ tanks I am normally reticent to equip them with weapons that require a to-hit roll (with Ballistic Skill 3, I’d rather take my chances with the Scatter Dice), so I shy away from Punishers and only mount my Commander in a Vanquisher. I also tend to avoid side sponsons. The Steel Host, however, alleviates a great deal of my reticence since as long as the vehicles in the formation are close enough to the Tank Commander, they all get the Preferred Enemy special rule – allowing them to re-roll missed hit and failed wound results of a 1. That turns everything on its head for me, and I’ve spent several lunch breaks (and, quite honestly a fair bit of work time) working out the ideal combination of weapons for my Leman Russ squadrons. I can feel a squadron of Leman Russ Punishers in my near future. Arm the tanks in each squadron in ways that will complement one another – you aren’t wasting shots against unsuitable targets.

The other thing that sticks out in my mind is the potential to remove those moments when you successfully hit with a high-Strength weapon, and you need ‘anything but a 1’ to Wound… anything that gets rid of that sinking feeling is all right by me. AT

BULLETS FOR EVERYONE!

Dan loves playing games of Apocalypse, especially when he can bring the full might of his Leman Russ Squadrons to bear.

In my opinion you can’t go wrong with loads of tanks, so a formation made up entirely of them can only be a good thing!

The inclusion of the Tank Commander in Codex: Astra Militarum gives the Imperial Guard a very competent leader with some serious firepower at his disposal. Unlike Adam, I would always give him a gun that fires loads of bullets. A Punisher with all the trimmings (heavy bolter sponsons, hull mounted heavy bolter and a heavy stubber) will churn out a stream of highly-accurate bullets every turn that will pulverise enemy units. An Exterminator is a good alternative, its twin-linked autocannons able to give light tanks a run for their money. Don’t forget that the Tank Commander can also lead a squadron of Battle Tanks, which can benefit from his tank orders. Strike and Shroud is a personal favourite, enabling you to shoot your opponents before hiding behind a wall of smoke.

When moving this formation, it goes without saying that you should keep all your vehicles within 12” of the Commander so that as many tanks as possible can benefit from Preferred Enemy. I would deploy the Hydra in the middle of the group and move it along with the rest of the formation. The Russes should be able to shield it from ground attacks, while the Hydra will protect them from air assaults. Prioritise aircraft that can kill tanks (Stormravens, Vendettas and the like) and your tanks should do pretty well. DH

The famed armoured formation of the Cadian 1652nd, known as the ‘Steel Host’, have a well deserved and fearsome reputation. Every member of the formation must prove themselves as a Guardsman before they are trained for the armoured corps, facing the foe with lasgun, bayonet and flak armour. These men are then expected to make a commensurately better account of themselves when the formidable armour and arsenal of a Leman Russ Battle tank is at their command. Under the direction of Commander Ovik, the Steel Host have proven themselves exceptional among the armoured formations of Cadia – so exceptional in fact, that high command insist that Ovik’s formation is accompanied by a Hydra to protect them from aerial threats. During the defence of Alaric Prime, the Steel Host were decisive in numerous battles, where their timely arrival and the devastating fire of their guns turned the tide or broke the enemy.

FORMATION:

1 Tank Commander

3 Leman Russ squadrons

1 Hydra

Restrictions: None

SPECIAL RULES:

Elite Tank Crews: The Tank Commander, and all vehicles from this formation within 12” of the Tank Commander, have the Preferred Enemy special rule.

This week, the conflict in Sanctus Reach explodes onto Alaric Prime. Adam Troke talks to author Phil Kelly about the nature of the Waaagh!, the forces involved and the interesting, sometimes surprising characters that emerge in the story.

As well as being one of our regular columnists, Phil Kelly is a mainstay of the Design Studio’s writing team and has worked on dozens of books for Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000. The Red Waaagh! has been a particular labour of love for him.

The Red Waaagh! has more than 40 pages of pure background joy within it, with stories, anecdotes and illustrations explaining the staggering battle for control of Alaric Prime. The book brings together the efforts of a host of writers and artists from around the Design Studio, foremost among them Design Studio veteran Phil Kelly, the architect of the opening phase of the Sanctus Reach campaign.

“At face value, the Red Waaagh! striking Alaric Prime has all the ingredients of an archetypal Warhammer 40,000 encounter,” Phil says. “It has the last-ditch defence made by the Imperial Knights and their Cadian allies in the face of an implacable and innumerable foe who will never slow down or offer quarter so long as they are united behind a forceful leader such as Grukk. The further you read into the story, the more you realise there is an undertone to it that is actually about the nature of Gork, Mork and the Orks. Grukk is very much a ‘Gorkian’ Ork, he really is your typical head-butting, face-punching (ripping, I suppose) Warboss, but he’s not the sharpest Squig in the drop heap, and a general of the quality of Castellan Stein has his number from the outset. Before the Orks ever hit the planet, the Cadians have dug trenches, planned choke points and arranged their defences; they play Grukk like a fiddle. Unfortunately for the Imperium, while Grukk may wage war with the subtlety of a cannon ball, the greenskins aren’t all as mono-dimensional as the frothing blood-caked maniac that leads them into battle.

“Sure, Grukk has carved his way across Sanctus Reach and killed no few Space Marines, but on Sanctus Reach the Imperium, specifically Stein and the Freeblade Knight Gerantius, have a plan to stop him,” Phil says portentously. “Because of that, the story shifts focus a little and you realise that the key players are, in many ways, the characters playing the role of power behind the throne. For the Orks, that’s Mogrok, a Bad Moons Big Mek with grand designs. Mogrok was tremendous fun to write about, because he’s an Ork with a brain. Mogrok has concocted a gravity-defying strategy that, if he can only make it work, will not only shift the flow of battle irreversibly in the favour of the Orks, but leave him as the undisputed leader of the Red Waaagh!

“The other ‘character’ that rises to the fore is the world itself,” Phil adds. “The setting for all this carnage is Alaric Prime, a Knight world closely modelled on Jervis and Simon’s ideas from when they wrote Codex: Imperial Knights. As with any Knight world, the culture of the households upon it helps define the society that emerges and Alaric Prime is host to a number of disparate Knightly houses who have feuded for millennia. They have lorded their position and status over these worlds for thousands of years, and this has had a few strange effects. The houses are so formal and hidebound by their own laws that they have choked themselves with contradictory and confusing rules. On Alaric Prime no law has ever been repealed, and a great many of them are very strange, petty laws indeed. Pretty much anyone could be a criminal, if they are scrutinised enough. It’s a dysfunctional world with bickering families and simmering grudges. Only when the Orks arrive are Neru Degallio and Castellan Stein able to coerce the other Knightly houses into putting aside their differences for the common cause, and even then not everyone is able to cooperate fully.” AT

THE FORGOTTEN KNIGHT

“Gerantius is the spiritual guardian of the Sacred Mountain on Alaric Prime, and when he strides to war alongside the Cadians and household Imperial Knights, he single-handedly changes the course of the battle,” says Phil. “He’s an element of high fantasy and powerful mystery within the tapestry of Warhammer 40,000. Some say that the pilot within Gerantius is immortal, a ghost or worse. Regardless, Gerantius is Alaric Prime’s self-appointed guardian, and whenever his world needs him, Gerantius leaves the Sacred Mountain to fight once again.

“As the story within the Red Waaagh! continues, Gerantius’s role becomes clearer, and we learn more about the Sacred Mountain,” Phil adds. “This massive edifice has its own mysteries and before Waaagh! Grukk is finished wreaking its havoc on the planet, its true purpose will be revealed and the mountain will be changed forever.”

Join us for a round-up of the week as we share comment, opinion and trivia on the all latest releases, plus other fun tidbits that have cropped up in the White Dwarf bunker. This week it’s all about Alaric Prime, Planetstrike and a smattering of Old World trivia.

SHEDDING LIGHT ON A KNIGHT WORLD

The action within Sanctus Reach: The Red Waaagh! takes place on Alaric Prime, a notable Knight world and the home of Houses Kresten, Degallio and others. Alaric Prime is at once a grim and unwholesome world and a paradise, possessed of strange secrets and unfathomable technology.

Alaric Prime’s great sulphurous seas are foully polluted and incapable of sustaining anything but the hardiest of life, and the coastlines are as forbidding as the toxic waves that wash against them. Inland though, there are areas of verdant growth that are fed by the self-sustaining eco-systems. Here the towering black stone keeps of the Noble Houses loom ominously above the toiling peasants, a constant reminder of just who rules Alaric Prime. House Degallio is considered the greatest of the Houses on Alaric Prime, and its keep is by far the strangest, for it sits upon a gigantic floating city many miles across in size. Propelled by ancient engines and armed with an incredible arsenal of cannons, Isle Degallio proved to be a weapon in its own right, turning the tide of the fighting in the Red Waaagh! as the master of House Degallio, Neru, slammed it into the mainland, enabling his warriors to attack the Orks directly.

HOUSE KRESTEN

The gallant Imperial Knights of House Kresten were among the first into battle against Grukk’s newly arrived hordes, and they wasted no time charging into the greenskins. If these brave warriors had hoped to scatter the well-led and battle-hardened Orks of the Red Waaagh! in the same way as they might the grubby peasants of Alaric Prime, however, they were to be disappointed. Only the Steel Host of the 1652nd Cadians ended the wholesale slaughter.

DYROS KAMATA

The Freeblade known as The Scorched Knight was once Dyros of House Kamata. During the fighting he elected not to stand with the remainder of the Noble pilots, but instead attacked the Ork rearguard by himself. Eventually, it became clear that Dyros was not just fighting to protect to free his world from the greenskin menace, but for revenge – a chance he received in the battle of Sacred Mountain.

The Red Waaagh! is led by a host of powerful Ork bosses, and when Grukk’s initial assault is blunted, Mogrok and other kunnin’ Orks rise to the fore.

“Luckily for the Boyz on Alaric Prime, it’s not just brute force they can rely on in the latter stage of the war,” Phil says. “In fact there are a number of prominent characters who are instrumental in what I call the War of Kunnin’, as the Imperial forces fall back towards the Sacred Mountain and the Orks prepare for their final attack. These are a characterful bunch of villains, from Big Redd Da Warphead, leader of the Madboyz, to Bogrot Bones, a Snakebite Warboss with a caravan of gigantic Squiggoths and some truly impressive artillery. I had a lot of fun working with Studio artist Alex Boyd in describing these individuals, and what they add to the Ork war effort. I love how he has brought their characters to life.”

During his conversation with Adam, Jervis couldn’t help but muse on the best examples of Planetstrike forces, and the heroes who lead them.

“Probably the finest example of a commander who embraces the doctrine of planetary assault is Ragnar Blackmane,” Jervis says, referring to one of the most famous Space Wolves in Warhammer 40,000. “Even in his earliest appearances, such as his bestiary in the original Codex: Space Wolves, he was described as a master of orbital assaults, his Great Company descending onto the unwary in Drop Pods.”

Described by Adam as a ‘militant firework display’ the Helstorm Rocket Battery is one of those madcap-but-deadly inventions of the College of Engineers that can’t help but bring a smile to the face of gun powder obsessed hobbyists.

“There’s a lunatic charm to the idea of racking up half a dozen or so massive high-explosive rockets and firing them at the enemy,” says Adam. “My favourite thing about the Helstorm Rocket Battery though, is that it’s almost impossible to fire it in a game without making a whistling noise, followed by a bang.”

This little rat on the Rat Ogre sprue has drawn Dan’s attention this week. “He’s the perfect familiar for a Skaven character,” he explains. “I like the idea that he’s annoying his master by giving unwelcome ‘advice’ in a whiny, high pitched voice.”

Notes from the worlds of Warhammer. This week: three of the gods of the Empire.

SIGMAR

Sigmar is the patron deity of the Empire and the most widely worshipped god within its bounds. Curiously, he was also once a living man, a saviour figure who united the disparate tribes of men and drove out the Orcs and Beastmen infesting their lands. Whatever Sigmar once was, however, there is clearly power in his name, and his Warrior Priests can work mighty feats in battle when they call upon him.

MORR

The god of death and dreams, Morr is observed by all wise men and women in the Empire, for it is he who grants rest in his garden. The priests of Morr are the sworn enemies of Necromancers and seek to thwart the Undead whenever they can, for they are an affront to the natural order of things. Many in the Empire carry a pair of coins on their person, in case they come to a sticky end – for a pair of brass pennies nailed into the eye sockets of a dead man speeds his way into the Garden of Morr.

VERENA

Believed by some to be Morr’s bride, Verena is the Empire goddess of wisdom and justice. She is a tall and beautiful woman, severe of aspect, and her gaze is said to cause liars and thieves to wither in fear. Her temples house great libraries and court rooms and her priests are called upon to arbitrate in disputes between businessmen and nobles. Verena is considered the wife of the god Morr, and many refer to the ‘family business’, the matter of executing criminals, with grim humour.

Blazing a trail across White Dwarf this week is this Flamespyre Phoenix painted by Matthieu Favresse.

Matthieu painted the Phoenix and the rider’s cloak in rich blues and reds, which contrast with the bright orange and yellow flames streaming off the Phoenix’s body. Matthieu also painted the rider’s armour using non-metallic metals. A metal rod was used to pin the Phoenix to its rocky base, giving the illusion that it’s swooping low across the battlefield.

If you’ve got a model you think should be in White Dwarf, email us at
team@whitedwarf.co.uk. If it’s something we can use, we’ll be sure to get in touch.

The White Dwarf team is a font of hobby knowledge, a metaphorical repository of useful facts. If you have a question about Warhammer 40,000 or Warhammer, need a bit of painting advice or you’re after a few tactical tips, drop us a line: team@whitedwarf.co.uk

DEALIN’ WIV BIG STUFF

My orks are having trouble dealing with Super–heavy vehicles. Do you have any suggestions on how to deal with these monstrous machines?
- David ‘Da Krumpa’ Thomson

GROMBRINDAL SAYS

I find the best way to deal with super-heavy things is to hit them with a super-heavy hammer. I remember this one Ogre, he was a big lad, but one swift punch in the… Anyway, I digress…

Dan: Grombrindal’s not far wrong, actually. One of the best ways to deal with Super-heavy tanks is to punch them to bits. Ork gunz can be pretty powerful, but not entirely reliable. On the other hand, an Ork Nob with a power claw will happily smash armoured vehicles until he runs out of targets or his arms fall off. An Ork Warboss would do the job even more effectively, while Ghazghkull Thraka will make very short work of even the biggest armoured threat.
- Grombrindal (and Dan)

Jes and Andy hosted a game of Triumph and Treachery in the White Dwarf hobby room this week as regular contributors Gary Shaw and Jamie Forster brought their armies into battle.

“At the end of a bloody contest, Jes took the victory with 1000 gold in his war chest, compared to my own humble 50,” says Andy reflecting on the crushing defeat. “Jamie learned the value of Battle Standard Bearers, as his Dwarfs failed every Leadership test they took, Gary discovered (to his horror) that you can’t use both a great weapon and a shield in a fight (the Shield of The Merwyrm no less), as a Gorger ate his High Elf Noble. As for myself, I learned the consequences of antagonising all three of my opponents and then deploying between them all as I was ruthlessly targeted and attacked throughout the battle… even Gary, my ‘trusted battle brother’, betrayed me. I will have my revenge.”

“The doc’s tools that the Painboy carries are based loosely on the narthecium that a Space Marine Apothecary carries,” Gavin said, referring to the Ork’s unsightly gauntlet. “It’s as if the Painboy has seen one in action before, and modelled his own tools after the battle-medics of the Adeptus Astartes. A narthecium is by necessity quite a brutal looking tool, since it has to saw through ceramite and hardened bone, whereas the creepy mix of razor blades and saws on the doc’s tools are to satisfy his sadistic tendencies.”

Andy Keddie is once again the star of the White Dwarf team when it comes to painting new models. He’s currently gearing up for a Battle Brothers event in Warhammer World and that has led him to paint at a simply incredible rate. “In the last week I have put finishing touches to a Battle Wagon with deff rolla, two new Ork Nobz with skorchas and a fresh herd of 20 Gretchin (and the Runtherd to lead them), Andy says. “In fact, I’ve been on such a roll this week that I even ended up helping out my teammate Jim Lister by painting the bases on his models too. The excuse he’s given me for not having done them himself, is that he wanted to make sure our armies matched. Hmm.” Regardless, Andy’s herculean hobby endeavours go to show just what you can do if you set your mind to it. Andy, we salute you!

“I actually painted all the Gretchin on a quiet Sunday afternoon,” says Andy, referring to his motley Grot horde. “Controversially, I started from a basecoat spray of The Fang for most of these models, and went for a layer of Waaagh! Flesh over the top of that, leaving the blue-grey showing for hair Squigs and cloth.”

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