ISSUE 31

30th August 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

Nagash is not alone in his quest to conquer the Warhammer world; he is accompanied by his Mortarchs, three monstrously powerful Undead lords enslaved to his undeniable will. As breathtaking as Nagash himself, these models alone can form a centrepiece for your Undead Legion – in fact, that’s just what our Matt Hutson has done, having painted up Mannfred von Carstein on his Dread Abyssal to lead his Vampire Counts army.

We’ve also got a stage-by-stage painting guide for Mannfred in Paint Splatter, so you too can get your everliving servant of darkness looking brilliant and onto the battlefield in no time.

Elsewhere, Adam dabbles in forbidden knowledge to bring you both a history of the undead in the Warhammer world and some thoughts on using the dread Lore of Undeath, now available to wizards everywhere. He’s now muttering dark incantations and looking a little pale and feverish – but I hope you enjoy the issue!

Jes Bickham - White Dwarf Editor

In return for his part in Nagash’s resurrection, and in recognition of his own terrible power, Nagash the Supreme Lord of the Undead has raised Mannfred to serve as his right hand, bestowing upon him the honour of conquering the world at the head of his legions.

As reward for his loyalty, Mannfred has been gifted with a Dread Abyssal upon which he now rides into battle. This powerful creature is a spirit torn from the underworld and bound into a physical body forged from bone, shaped by the will of the Great Necromancer and surrounded by the howling spirits of the damned.

A multi-part plastic kit, Mannfred and his Dread Abyssal form a breathtaking army centrepiece, evoking the horror of Nagash’s necromantic powers. Mannfred is a faithful recreation of the existing Citadel miniature rendered in plastic as the rider of this enormous beast. He retains the monstrous visage and muscular frame that set him apart as a cold-hearted killer.

The Dread Abyssal’s face has bat-like features, a certain nod to the heritage of Mannfred as lord of Sylvania. The front limbs of the beast are poseable at the shoulders and elbows, meaning that if you choose to create the other Mortarchs, each can have a subtly different pose. AT

Left - Mannfred rides into battle on a Dread Abyssal known as Ashigaroth, the Gorger upon the Meek. In the underworld this vile creature feasted upon those too callow or weak to raise a hand in their own defence. Now, this otherworldly horror has been reborn as a bat-faced horror, spawned from the nightmares of those who have faced the terror of Sylvania in the past.

Right - Mannfred, the Mortarch of Night and ruler of Sylvania. He is clad in the Armour of Templehof and wields Gheistvor, the Sword of Unholy Power.

Arkhan the Black is Nagash’s most trusted lieutenant, the first Liche King and the Mortarch of Sacrament. Ever Nagash’s loyal servant, he has worked tirelessly over the centuries to ensure his master’s return and has been suitably rewarded for his endeavours.

The first of Nagash’s Dark Lords, Arkhan the Black has fought alongside the Great Necromancer for thousands of years. He was the first of Nagash’s followers to partake of the Elixir of Life, allowing him to live far beyond the span of mortal men. But eternal life for Arkhan is a bitter pill; though his spirit endures, his body is nothing more than a charred skeleton held together by dark magic and willpower. Yet looks can be deceiving, for Arkhan is a fearsome warrior and a mighty sorcerer, his power magnified by Nagash’s resurrection.

Arkhan has a very different look to the Mortarch Mannfred, his skeletal appearance an echo of his dark master. Like Nagash, he wears a suit of polished laminar armour, a collar of bones arrayed behind his head and a tattered, moth-eaten cape billowing behind him. Unlike Nagash, however, Arkhan still wears the raiment of lost Nehekhara, his armour and that of his steed Razarak embellished with gold cartouches, a sign of his heritage and a symbol of his position as Khemri’s grand vizier. DH

Left - Arkhan rides the Dread Abyssal Razarak, the Doom of Traitors. Like Arkhan himself, Razarak despises those who betray their masters and will do all in his power to see them delivered to the underworld as speedily as possible. Razarak is characterised by a trio bony horns protruding from his head.

Right - Arkhan carries Zefet-kar, the Tomb Blade. Sheathed in a scabbard of human flesh, its hilt crafted from a severed spinal column, it leeches the life out of everyone it touches, reducing them to a charred husk.

Neferata is the eldest of all Vampires, an ancient enemy of Nagash who now serves him as one of his Mortarchs. From the back of Nagadron, her Dread Abyssal, she stalks the battlefield, cutting down the enemy with her preternatural agility.

From her fortress high in the World’s Edge mountains Neferata has long steered the events of the world using a network of spies and agents. With Nagash’s return, however, she has cast in her lot with the Supreme Lord of the Undead.

Neferata’s garb reflects both the courtly splendour and necrotic decay synonymous with the Lahmian Vampires: opulent silk and precious gems contrasting with the tattered fabric of Neferata’s sleeves and skirts and the morbid ossuary of her headdress and armour. She sits in an elegant sidesaddle posture upon a throne, the soft, cushioned upholstery and carved bone backing a suitable vantage point for the Queen of Mysteries.

The Dread Abyssal upon which she rides is known as Nagadron the Adevore, a gift from Nagash for her apparent loyalty. This vile creature has a voracious appetite, which it sates upon the souls of gluttons. It is a patient hunter, much like Neferata, willing to wait an age to claim its victims. AT

Left - Nagadron’s bony skull is concealed beneath this armoured hood, giving it the appearance of a predatory snake. The way the armour extends over the eyes mirrors Neferata’s own war crown, as if to shield their eyes from the baleful glare of a hostile sun.

Right - Neferata is equipped with relics taken from lost Lahmia, foremost among which are the Dagger of Jet and Aken-seth, the Staff of Pain. This ancient staff resembles the bladed tail of a Khemrian Warsphinx, with an inlaid cartouche and fan-shaped outer blade.

Long ago, Neferata and her outcast followers from Lahmia conquered the Dwarf stronghold now known as Silver Pinnacle. High in the World’s Edge mountains, this unassailable fortress offers a base from which Neferata can strike out against her enemies.

Called to serve as a Mortarch by Nagash, Neferata now marches forth from her fastness to enact her master’s will. Before her kingdom was overthrown and she was cast into exile, Neferata was a queen of Nehekhara, the ruler of Lahmia. Millennia later, her stronghold remains true to the traditions of Lahmia, and she is still attended by Tomb Guard and Skeletal Warriors in the garb of Nehekhara.

When Neferata struck out in search of the Archway of Valaya to aid the return of Nagash, she led an army named the Army of the Silver Pinnacle, much of which can be recreated using this army bundle.

The Army of the Silver Pinnacle contains 48 plastic models: a Coven Throne, Tomb Banshee, 10 Tomb Guard, 16 Tomb Kings Skeleton Warriors and 20 Crypt Ghouls. Using these you can recreate famous regiments, such as the Lahmian Guard or Imentet and the Handmaidens from the Battle of Skull Chasm, as detailed in Warhammer: Nagash. AT

Arkhan the Black marches on La Maisontaal Abbey to recover Alakanash, Nagash’s staff of power. Marching through ravaged Bretonnia, he raises his army from the kingdom’s dead, summoning Skeletons and Wights from ancient barrows long-forgotten.

This all-plastic boxed set represents the Black Host, the vanguard of Arkhan’s army as it marches upon La Maisontaal Abbey.

Among his legion of Undead warriors are the Wights of Stonewrath Tarn, a unit of 20 Grave Guard from one of Arkhan’s many burial grounds secreted in Bretonnia. Alongside them march the Arisen, 20 Skeleton Warriors raised ‘fresh’ from the battlefields of Quenelles. The force is led by a mouldering Wight King, one of Arkhan’s many subordinates, and supported by a monstrous Terrorgheist, a terrifying Undead creature raised by the Liche King to aid him in his quest. DH

An army of skeletal knights and ethereal horsemen marched out of castle Sternieste, but by the time Mannfred’s legions arrived at Mordkin Lair its ranks were swollen by hordes of fresh war dead, choking the tunnels of the Skaven stronghold with numberless Zombies.

When Mannfred marched through Mad Dog Pass on his way to claim the Fellblade from the ratmen, his ranks swelled with hordes of Zombies, these ragged corpses rising up in crude imitation of the regiments they once were. While ancient knights and the Hexwraiths known as the Spectres of Corpse Wood led the charge on Mordkin Lair, the foetid ranks of the Graveborn Zombies staggered behind.

The Army of Sternieste is an impressive army bundle packed with 39 plastic Citadel miniatures: a Necromancer, 10 Black Knights, 5 Hexwraiths, 3 Vargheists (or Crypt Horrors) and 20 Zombies. AT

The latest edition of Warhammer: Visions features Space Wolves and the Undead Legions of Nagash.

By the White Dwarf Team Magazine

236 pages

This week Warhammer: Visions issue 8 is available to order. The latest instalment contains 236 pages of Citadel miniatures photographed to perfection: from the latest additions to the Citadel range to Golden Demon-winning submissions.

The issue kicks off with a double-header with all the models released as part of Warhammer: Nagash, and the heroic Space Wolves. These pages feature some truly amazing photography, showing these new miniatures in moody and atmospheric surroundings. There’s also a whopping gallery of Golden Demon entries from Birmingham 2013, a huge Ork army painted by a talented (and fanatical) man from Stockholm, a Forge World showcase and more besides. AT

As the Undead cast off the bonds of the grave, painters seek fast ways to paint lots of skeletons.

Basecoat Spray
400ml

The Zandri Dust basecoat spray is the best way to prepare your ranks of Skeletons for painting – a quick spray and you are ready for basecoats and layers. It’s also pretty handy for Deathwing Terminators too. AT

The Dwarfs of the Dragonback Mountains thought themselves safe from war. They were wrong…

By Gav Thorpe
Paperback | 416 pages

Renowned for his tales of pointy-eared Elves, Gav Thorpe has branched out with this Time of Legends novel about Dwarfs.

The novel follows the tale of a group of Dwarfs, brewers and miners for the most part, who lead an idyllic life in the Dragonback Mountains. When Goblins infiltrate their home, they fight them with gusto. Until the goblins’ numbers become insurmountable, that is. The interaction between the main characters – especially Haldora and her admirer Nakka – is superb, their mood gradually deteriorating throughout the story while their concerns escalate from worries over soured ale and shorn beards to full-scale war. It’s a sad, heartwarming, epic and personal tale worth every page it’s printed on. DH

One last great adventure awaits Gotrek Gurnisson and his faithful companion Felix Jaeger.

By David Guymer
Hardback | 416 pages

Two of Warhammer’s greatest heroes, Gotrek and Felix, have long since parted ways, Gotrek to seek his doom and Felix to settle with wife and child. But as the End Times approach and the hordes of Chaos engulf Kislev, Gotrek’s axe is needed once more – and Felix will not let him face his destiny alone.

Kinslayer is the first part of an epic story arc entitled The Doom of Gotrek Gurnisson. This ominously-entitled saga tells of the world’s most infamous Slayer and his actions during the End Times. It is a story of epic battles and absolute tragedy as the truth behind Gotrek’s slayer oath is revealed, and old friendships end with bitter deaths. This old fan will confess to shedding a tear or two… AT

FURTHER READING

With Gotrek centre stage this week it would be churlish not to recommend the ever-popular Gotrek & Felix series. The best way to get started is to either pick up Trollslayer (available as a beautifully bound Black Library Classics edition) or the First Omnibus. All of these are available (either as books or ebooks) from the Black Library website:
www.blacklibrary.com

The history of Nagash is long indeed. His long war with the Nehekharan priest-kings is well documented, though his battle with Sigmar Unberogen less so…

Phil is one of the Design Studio’s background writers and has worked on Codexes and army books from Warhammer Armies: Vampire Counts to Codex: Eldar.

After a long recovery from his utter defeat at Nagashizzar, the Great Necromancer set out in secret for the northern lands. He was determined to find his stolen Crown of Sorcery and reclaim it for his own. Far were his wanderings and many his battles on the hard road to the north. Nagash travelled through lands where stalwart Dwarfs battled greenskins and followers of Chaos lurked. At last, he arrived in the lands of the nascent Empire and took up residence within the long abandoned ruins of the Elf city of Athel Tamarha. This was to be his base from which he would scour the north in search of his crown.

Nagash sent messengers winging out to locate the crown, soon learning that it was in the possession of Sigmar, the first Emperor. Sensing its utter evil, Sigmar had refused to use it and instead kept it under lock and key within his treasure vaults, far from the eyes of those who might be tempted to make use of its powers.

The Great Necromancer sent a messenger to Sigmar’s camp, intending to stake his claim to the crown and offer infinite riches for its return. A great cowled figure, mounted on the back of a carrion bird, descended upon the tribesmen.

Warriors quailed as the dark figure dismounted and presented its master’s demands in a voice like a death rattle. The stench of evil and decay surrounded the messenger, and all the men who looked upon it became afraid. However, Sigmar was not inclined to surrender the crown, and said so in the strongest terms. Seeing their leader’s resolve, the warriors took heart and chanted the god-king’s name. Their cheering was silenced when the messenger spoke once again, saying that they were fools, and that they would not live to regret their folly.

Sigmar raised his great hammer, Ghal Maraz, and smote the undead thing. It collapsed in on itself, leaving only a foul dark cloak behind. The god-king ordered the remains burned.

Nagash spent many months gathering his strength. His spells raised legions of the dead from their burial mounds, and other dark things came at his call until a mighty army of the undead was assembled. At last he was ready to make war against Sigmar and his followers.

This great army of the dead marched through the gloomy forests of the Empire, killing all those they encountered. Those they slew swelled the army’s ranks. Many men were killed, and many others driven before the undead army to spread the word of its coming, for Nagash understood how potent an ally fear could be.

And the men of the north were afraid. They had vanquished the Orcs and driven their ancestral enemies before them, but now they faced a foe that was seemingly invincible. Of them all, only Sigmar was unafraid. He sent to his Dwarf allies for aid, and they forged many potent weapons for the undoing of their necromantic foes.

The two armies met on the banks of the River Reik in the later spring of the year IC 15. It was an evenly matched and bitterly fought battle. The humans and the Dwarfs were resolute as the undead regiments of animated skeletons and walking corpses marched towards them like automatons, every step perfectly synchronised to the beat of a massive, human-skinned drum. Carrion darkened the sky overhead. Vampires stalked through the red murk. Wights clutched hilts in cold, dead hands.

The army of Nagash charged and broke like a wave against the indomitable bulwark of the Dwarf shieldwall. The forces of Sigmar counter-charged and a huge melee broke out that pitted man against monster across the field of battle. Before long, Ghouls feasted on the dead and the wounded alike.

Amid all the destruction two god-like beings walked. Sigmar led charge after charge at the head of the Unberogen tribe, his awesome warhammer turning him into a living engine of destruction. He left a wake of ruin behind him as he waded through his foes. Mounted on a great black chariot, Nagash drove through the fray, a howling black runesword clutched in his metal fist. In the centre of the battle the two titans clashed. Sigmar vaulted up onto the running board of the chariot and wrestled with the great necromancer. It was a contest of inhuman strengths that sent the two of them tumbling from the vehicle to crash onto the honest earth.

For an hour the two fought whilst the battle roiled around them. Nagash stabbed his foe in the arm, the wound deeply poisoned. Feeling his strength seep away, Sigmar launched himself into a final berserk assault. The hammer became a thunderbolt in his hands. He struck home time and again, driving Nagash right to the banks of the Reik. Nagash summoned his most potent minions to aid him, and Vampires leapt on the first Emperor. He struck right and left, crushing them utterly.

Sensing his foe was weakening, Nagash stood his ground. Sigmar stood panting before him. Both knew that this was the final conflict. The wounded Sigmar threw himself forward once again. His hammer descended like a meteor. Nagash parried and the hammer was halted. For a long moment, the two strained against each other. Sparks flew as their weapons met. The thunder of metal on metal drowned out the screams of the dying. Steel sinews pitted themselves against unnatural vitality. Cold blue eyes glared into awful empty sockets. Then, at last, Sigmar’s raw strength prevailed, the warrior knocking aside the Great Necromancer’s blade and smashing his weapon down on the head of his foe.

As the Necromancer fell, a dark cloud emerged from his cracked skull and rose like a plume of poisonous gas over the battlefield before drifting south. The legions animated by his dark will collapsed. Skeletons fell into piles of bone. Zombies stumbled and fell, decomposing before the eyes of Sigmar’s warriors until they became pools of rot on the ground. Vampires and Ghouls fled into the deep woods. Only when the battle was over did Sigmar finally allow himself to fall.

It took the man-god several months to recover from the wound Nagash had inflicted and he never regained his full strength. On the other hand, it took the Great Necromancer many centuries to once more take on mortal form in his great sarcophagus in Khemri. Nagash had learned a bitter lesson: there were powers in the world who could bring him low. From that day Nagash dwelled within Nagashizzar, reduced to a pale shadow of his former might, using a web of agents, living, dead and undead, to do his bidding.

Yet one day, he was to return, and mightier than ever before…

Before the rise of the Empire, before the sundering that wracked ancient Ulthuan, a high-born noble of Nehekhara risked everything to learn the secrets of eternal life, an act that would reverberate throughout all history.

When Nagash was first rising to power he used his arcane knowledge, and the labours of thousands of slaves, to create the Black Pyramid. Such is the power of this terrible edifice that when Nagash was slain by Alcadizzar, his body coalesced within its confines, a process that took 1,111 years.

For more than 4,000 years the blight of Undeath has been a constant taint upon the Warhammer world, a horror that has claimed untold lives and overthrown entire realms at the whim of vile practitioners such as Necromancers and Vampires. The power of Undeath might never have come into being were it not for the inquisitive, greedy nature of a certain young noble of Nehekhara.

Nagash was born to a life of privilege, the eldest son of a king, and soon initiated into the mortuary cults of his land. Nehekhara, even in its ancient days, was a land rife with magic and mysticism and the young Nagash craved knowledge and power in equal measure. In defiance of the gods, he sought to learn the mysteries of death, initially gaining an understanding of Dark Magic by interrogating Dark Elves captured by his people. Soon, however, Nagash’s knowledge eclipsed their own. The student truly had become the master.

Nagash delved fearlessly and recklessly into the arcane, creating an elixir that granted him and his subordinates immortality. He learned the secrets of the underworld and how to bind the dead to his will. His power and his cruelty grew and soon he claimed the crown of Khemri. The people of his kingdom lived as slaves, worked to death beneath the blazing sun. Too late the Priest Kings of Nehekhara rose against him, defeated his followers and drove him from their land. Had they acted sooner, Nagash might have been slain, but his power was already too great.

Arkhan the Black, Nagash’s most loyal apprentice and a warrior of sublime skill in his own right, gave his life that his master might escape the wrath of the Priest Kings. Nagash fled north in exile, alone and exhausted. Finally he collapsed on the shores of the Sour Sea, where some say he died. Regardless, Nagash arose once more, his power fuelled by the vast deposits of warpstone found within Cripple Peak, and soon raised legions of Zombies as his slaves. He built Nagashizzar, a dark kingdom that he ruled over with an iron will, enslaving nearby human tribes and drawing in outcasts from Lahmia when they fled the ire of the Priest Kings of Nehekhara.

In time Nagash would return to the land of his birth, waging a war that he could not win by conventional means. Nehekhara was now ruled by Alcadizzar the Conqueror, the greatest king of his age, and possibly any other. His well-ordered armies smashed the Undead legions of Nagash while his priests protected the mortal warriors from the works of the Great Necromancer. Nagash, however, would not be denied, and so unleashed the most spiteful of magics. Nehekhara died in agony as the River Vitae ran red with blood and uncounted thousands succumbed to plague. Alcadizzar was captured by Nagash’s minions and brought to Nagashizzar where the Great Necromancer could boast of his impending victory. Nagash revealed his end goal to the humiliated king: he would enact a great ritual that would turn his homeland into a land of the dead. Still and silent, Nehekhara would be Nagash’s to command at last.

In the end this design of Nagash’s was thwarted, in part at least, by the Skaven, who had previously colluded with him in exchange for the warpstone beneath Cripple Peak. As Nagash enacted his great ritual, Skaven agents armed Alcadizzar with a dire magical blade and freed him from the dungeons of the Necromancer. Driven by desperation, vengeance and the insane power of the weapon the Skaven had given him, Alcadizzar hunted down Nagash and slew him. Although he was too mad to know it, Alcadizzar had saved the world, although his desperate heroism was too late for Nehekhara.

Nagash’s great ritual had extinguished all life in the land of the kings, but it also broke the wards and incantations placed upon the great pyramids and necropolises. The mortuary cults had promised the ancient kings of Nehekhara eternal life in paradise, but instead they burst from their confinement within dusty tombs to discover an arid land of blazing sun and unending death. The kings were furious, and set to war with one another, until the mightiest of their kind, Settra the Imperishable, awoke. At the head of his legions Settra crushed any who opposed his absolute rule of Nehekhara. He declared the reign of a million years, and began the arduous task of rebuilding the lost glory of his realm and readying his warriors should Nagash ever return.

While Nehekhara warred with itself, the Vampires of Lahmia found their new place in the world. In quiet corners they brooded, gathering power and avoiding the wrath of those who could destroy them. So while Arkhan the Black ravaged much of Araby and even battled the Skaven for dominion over the Cursed Pit, the legacy of Lahmia was quiet, save only the conquest of Silver Peak by Neferata and her allies.

Forty years before the birth of Sigmar, Nagash returned again, reborn in the Black Pyramid of Khemri. Once more he rose to power, but less than 50 years passed before he crossed paths with the first Emperor, and was slain (again) on the banks of the River Reik. Even so, the foul magic brought into the world by Nagash was never banished, and across the world echoes of his work were found as madmen dabbled with fragments of his knowledge gleaned from ancient scrolls and forbidden tomes. While Settra carved out his empire of bone in the south, the Vampire Luthor Harkon raided the coasts of Lustria. In the Empire, the maniacal Necromancer Van Hal plunged the province of Sylvania into peril as the dead walked the land, and raised the fortress of Vanhaldenschlosse. Ever after Sylvania was a place of dark omen, and it is perhaps because of this that the Vampire Vlad von Carstein was able to seize power in the province by marrying Isabella von Drak and become the first true Vampire Count.

Vlad’s rule signified a change in the world, as slowly he solidified his power and later challenged the rule of the Empire. Vlad sired a line of Vampires and with them gained total control of the land. From the walls of Drakenhof Keep he intoned spells from the Nine Books of Nagash, raising the dead in numbers unseen in the Empire, and launched a full-scale invasion that carved a path all the way to the gates of Altdorf. Only through theft, deception and betrayal was Vlad defeated, but even then one of his own rose up to replace him. While Vlad had been cunning, vicious and noble, Mannfred, his eventual heir, was psychotic, malicious and cruel. He was not the general his sire was, however, and at the battle of Hel Fen he was defeated, thought destroyed for a time.

But the evil of Nagash cannot be undone, and Mannfred’s power waxed once more as his agents sought out prisoners, sacrifices through which he intended a terrible ritual. In unwitting collusion with Arkhan the Black, Mannfred brought about the return of the Great Necromancer. If Mannfred had hoped to bend Nagash to his will, he was mistaken, for upon his return Nagash enslaved all Vampires and Undead to his cause, destroying those who resisted. At last the Supreme Lord of the Undead would rule the world and all who stood in his path would die. AT

BIRTH OF THE VAMPIRES

The origins of the Vampires are inextricably linked to Nagash. In ancient Khemri, he fashioned an elixir of human blood that granted an unnaturally long life to all who consumed it. The most famous recipient of this elixir was, of course, Arkhan the Black, who used his newfound immortality to serve Nagash with unwavering loyalty.

Though few would confess it at the time, many nobles of Nehekhara coveted the secrets of this elixir and after Nagash’s defeat and exile Neferata and her trusted consorts worked to recreate it for themselves. Theirs, however, was a crude replica of Nagash’s master work, and though Neferata no longer aged, her immortality came at price – an endless thirsting for blood. The nobles of ancient Lahmia who consumed this potion were the first Vampires, and for a long time they ruled their land with a vicious touch, preying on the populace of Lahmia. These Vampires experienced great physical change, along with their extended lives and insatiable thirst. They shunned the light, their skin became pale and they found they possessed a strength and agility far in advance of lesser, mortal creatures.

The Lahmians eventually sought to unite with Nagash and this proved to be their undoing. Their nature was discovered by their neighbours and King Alcadizzar, now supreme ruler of Nehekhara, led his warriors to drive these unnatural creatures from Nehekhara. The survivors fled into the wider world, establishing themselves as tyrants and monsters who preyed on those around them like wolves upon cattle. These exiles became the founders of Vampire dynasties across the world, and the names of many have reverberated through the ages. As the End Times begin, their names will once again be known.

THE LAND OF THE KINGS

Arkhan the Black is Nagash’s most loyal servant. He was the first, save Nagash, to drink the elixir – though this was the pure make of the master, granting immortal life without the curse of vampirism. Through long years and bitter defeats Arkhan has never flinched from serving Nagash and now, in the End Times, his loyalty is more important than ever.

Nehekhara has been the subject of Nagash’s singular enmity across the millennia, and its kings have ever proven his greatest foes. Thus the tragedy that the great ritual wrought upon its lands was especially cruel. For millennia the Tomb Kings and their subjects have existed in a mockery of the life they once possessed – skeletons and liches vainly emulating the habits of the living.

Nagash’s first action upon his return to the realm of the living was to march upon the land of the kings. To triumph against the rising power of Chaos in the north, Nagash would need more power of his own and so seeks to reclaim the Black Pyramid erected so many years ago. Within its lightless depths he could recuperate and strengthen himself for the battles to come. Only the small matter of vengeance stands in his path – he will have to humble his greatest remaining foe, Settra the Imperishable, and subjugate the Khemrikhara once and for all.

UNDEAD TIMELINE

A summary of pivotal Undead events. All dates are Imperial.

YEAR -2000

Nagash is born in ancient Nehekhara. He learns the secrets of Dark Magic from captured Dark Elves.

YEAR -c1950

Nagash creates an elixir that extends the life of his followers. He begins construction of the Black Pyramid of Nagash.

Fearful of Nagash’s rising power, the Priest Kings ally against him. After 100 years of warfare, Nagash is defeated. In Lahmia, Neferata and her court begin to experiment with Nagash’s elixir.

YEAR -c1600

Nagash discovers Cripple Peak and the warpstone deposits there. He begins to harness its power. Using Zombie slaves Nagash creates an underground fortress called Nagashizzar.

YEAR -c1350

Coveting the warpstone in Cripple Peak, the Skaven wage war on Nagash. Eventually they reach an accord.

YEAR -c1200

The Lahmians become aware of the Great Necromancer’s presence and despatch emissaries to Nagashizzar. This is discovered by the Priest Kings, who unite under King Alcadizzar and drive the Lahmians from Nehekhara.

YEAR -1163

Nagash wages war on the Priest Kings again. He unleashes plagues on their land, eventually capturing the leader of the Nehekharan forces, Alcadizzar, who he tortures in his dungeon.

YEAR -1151

Nagash begins the Ritual of Waking that will animate every corpse in the Great Kingdom to conquer the world at his command. The Skaven thwart him by freeing and arming Alcadizzar, who slays the Necromancer. Nagash’s body is incinerated, but his severed hand somehow escapes.

YEAR -326

Having wandered in exile for centuries, Neferata and her court conquer Silver Peak and establish a stronghold there.

YEAR -40

Nagash is reborn. His attempts to subjugate the Tomb Kings are thwarted by Settra, earning Nagash’s enmity. Defeated he retreats to Nagashizzar. Ever loyal, Arkhan drives the Skaven out of Nagash’s Cursed Pit forever.

YEAR c15

Nagash attempts to retrieve his lost Crown of Sorcery, but is thwarted, and slain by Sigmar.

YEAR 1797

Vlad von Carstein marries Isabella von Drak and inherits the province of Sylvania. The aristocracy of the province are infected with vampirism.

YEAR 2051

Vlad is slain by the Grand Theogonist. Wars of succession are fought by his heirs. Mannfred triumphs and is narrowly defeated by an alliance of Elves, Men and Dwarfs.

YEAR 2522

Mannfred, who has been secretly raising power in Sylvania. launches a series of events that lead to the capture of Grand Theogonist Volkmar. Mannfred now puts into motion the ritual that will see Nagash returned to the world…

As death magic spreads throughout the world and the power of Nagash rises, the restless dead forsake the grave. Every Wizard can harness the Lore of Undeath, drawing Zombies, Skeletons and worse to the battlefield. Adam looks at what this means for our games.

Adam was the first in the White Dwarf team to face the Lore of Undeath – he claims it has left an emotional scar on his soul.

Nagash’s rising has done more than turn the balance of power in the Warhammer world upside down, it’s also tipped the scales on the tabletop too. As the hurricane of death magic rages across the world, no Wizard is left untouched. Now any spellcaster that ever felt like dabbling with the Undead can have a crack at it. The effects are going to be profound.

First and foremost, the Lore of Undeath enables you to bring Undead reinforcements to the battle – four of the seven powers in the new lore enable you to summon reinforcements, from adding a regiment worth up to 100 points to a new monster or even a character. As any veteran player will attest, the arrival of a new unit or two onto the table can dramatically swing a battle – if two armies are evenly matched, the addition of 200 points of Blood Knights or Skeleton Chariots could change things dramatically, especially if they are summoned in places where they can threaten flank charges in future turns or arrive in positions to hold back an enemy advance.

In our limited experience here in the White Dwarf bunker so far, we’ve seen a couple of different uses for these summoned troops, and the emergence of some cunning tactics. The first is to shore up weaknesses in an army’s overall strength. If you are using High Elves, and you cannot afford to sacrifice valuable lives, why not bring some Zombies to die on your behalf? If your army is a Goblin Horde, and you need to add some crunch, you could summon Grave Guard, Black Knights or even a monster?

The second use of these summoned units is to throw your opponent off his game, giving you a tactical edge. Most generals start to panic if a mob of Grave Guard arrive unheralded in position to threaten their war machines, or a Necromancer rises silently from the dust. It’s another problem to think about, it requires the diversion of resources and can force a moment of hesitation, which could be just what you need for victory.

Now, these new units won’t score victory points, but they also won’t lose you any. That means they are unlikely decide the results of the game. Instead to get the best out of them you need to view what you summon like a true Necromancer: they’re all pawns to be exploited to your own ends. What do a few hundred mangled Zombies or the festering corpse of a Vargheist or two matter if you have saved your Empire village from desolation? And Khorne, well he doesn’t care how many Ghouls die, or where the blood comes from, just so long as it flows.

There is a pair of crucial exceptions to everything I’ve just talked about though, which are Arkhan the Black and Nagash himself. These double and triple the points values of everything they summon respectively. With these you can feasibly summon entire armies. Look back at our battle report last week to see this in action. Andy Keddie raised more than 1500 points worth of models with Nagash and, in his own words, he wasn’t even focussing on summoning. Under most circumstances the Lore of Undeath adds a fun tactical wrinkle to you games, but used like this, you could conquer the world. AT

RAISING HELL

Seeking a second opinion on matters of Undeath, Adam turned to Andy Keddie, the team’s resident disciple of Nagash, to see what he thinks about the new lore:

Andy: There’s no doubt that Adam’s onto something with his analysis of the Lore of Undeath, but I think to be fair we’re only just scratching the surface. Over the coming weeks and months we’ll see a lot of gamers jumping into the quagmire of Zombies, Skeletons and worse and working out exactly how to get the most out of it. The Lore of Undeath adds an extra strategic dimension for every Warhammer army (except Dwarfs, I suppose) and that’s what interests me.

No matter what army you favour, if you take a cheap wizard (It’s usually only 100 points or so for a Level 2 sorcerer) and if he successfully casts the Signature Spell, Ryze – The Grave Call even once during the game, he’s paid for himself. Take a couple of Level 2 Wizards and I think you can expect to cast the spell at least once a turn throughout the game. Because the effects of these spells are quite alarming, they will probably draw out most of your enemy’s dispel dice too – and if he under-commits to the dispel attempt you get a free unit to bolster your army.

These newly-summoned units will actually enable the rest of your army to fulfil its potential. Use expendable Zombies to screen more valuable units or to force the enemy to charge at awkward angles exposing their sides to your more important units. You can also force your opponent’s hand too by summoning Ethereal creatures. Unless they have some serious combat resolution in their regiments or magical weapons to hand, these are all but indestructible, a sure way to get your foe on the back foot.

Finally, remember your Raise the Dead counters – these give you lots of points to spend over the course of a battle.

THE UNDEAD LEGION

Warhammer: Nagash includes the Undead Legions army list, which uses models from across the Vampire Counts and Tomb Kings ranges. Wizards casting spells from the Lore of Undeath choose from the Undead Legion army list below:

Lords

Nagash, Mannfred von Carstein, Mortarch of Night, Arkhan the Black, Mortarch of Sacrament, Neferata, Mortarch of Blood, Krell, Mortarch of Despair, Vlad von Carstein, Mortarch of Shadow, Vampire Lord, Master Necromancer, Strigoi Ghoul King, High Queen Khalida, Tomb King, Liche High Priest.

Heroes

Necromancer, Vampire, Wight King, Cairn Wraith, Tomb Banshee, Prince Apophas, Tomb Prince, Tomb Herald, Liche Priest, Necrotect.

Core Units

Zombies, Skeleton Warriors, Crypt Ghouls, Dire Wolves, Skeleton Warriors, Skeleton Archers, Skeleton Horsemen, Skeleton Horse Archers, Skeleton Chariots.

Special Units

Corpse Cart, Grave Guard, Black Knights, Crypt Horrors, Fell Bats, Bat Swarms, Spirit Hosts, Hex Wraiths, Vargheists, Tomb Guard, Necropolis Knights, Tomb Scorpion, Ushabti, Tomb Swarm, Carrion, Khemrian Warsphinx, Sephulchral Stalkers, Morghast Harbingers.

Rare Units

Vargulf, Blood Knights, Cairn Wraiths, Black Coach, Terrorgheist, Mortis Engine, Necrolith Colossus, Hierotitan, Necrosphinx, Screaming Skull Catapult, Casket of Skulls, Morghast Archai.

A few years ago, White Dwarf lead designer Matt Hutson started dabbling in Necromancy. Then, more recently, he was badly nibbled by a Vampire and fully succumbed to Undeath. Here, he explains what the resurrection of Nagash means for his Undead army.

Matt is renowned for his many Space Marine armies, but he’s also raised a sizeable force of Vampire Counts in recent years.

Matt: When it comes to Warhammer, I generally tend to paint Elves, but the Zombie Dragon kit had me hooked the moment I saw it. So much so that I started a Vampire Counts army for the Blood in the Badlands campaign book that came out around the same time. My force was based around said Dragon-riding lord – Morivar Darkstalker – and his Blood Knights. I painted them in their traditional red colour scheme, which eventually became the spot colour for my whole army. In the end, my Vampire force did well in the campaign, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with it.

Fast-forward to December 2013 when Sigmar’s Blood came out. When I heard there would be a new book featuring Mannfred von Carstein, my interest was piqued. If you read that issue of White Dwarf, you’ll know that Dan and I both painted new units for our respective armies so we could play the campaign in the book (which I won, I might add). Over the course of a month, I painted close to 80 new models for my army, including Skeleton Warriors, Zombies and Grave Guard. It was then that I figured out what was wrong with my original army – it wasn’t big enough. A Vampire Counts collection should be huge, an unstoppable, inexorable tide of Undead punctuated by impressive centrepiece miniatures.

Playing Sigmar’s Blood also changed the background for my army. Mannfred von Carstein is the main protagonist in the book and I’d always wanted to paint him for my collection. Having played though the campaign and added so many new units to my army, it seemed only right that it become the army of Castle Sternieste, Mannfred’s secret Sylvanian lair.

Of course, when we were playing the campaign, we didn’t know that Nagash would actually come back. And with reinforcements, too! The new Mannfred on Dread Abyssal is awesome and I painted him straight away to lead my army into the End Times. Fortunately, Mannfred wears a lot of red and black, so he fit perfectly with the rest of my force. I also found out that (spoiler! – Ed) a certain other Vampire returns in the Nagash book, so I’m definitely going to paint him for my army, along with a trio of Vargheists. There are a lot of von Carsteins in the Nagash book and they’d be a great theme for my army. The big question is whether I’ll paint Nagash to lead them all. Of course! I’d also love to paint one of everything in the Undead Legion army list, but that may take a while… there’s a lot in it! DH

Paint Splatter provides handy tips and stage-by-stage painting guides for the week’s new releases. This week, it’s the Vampire Lord Mannfred von Carstein, the Mortarch of Night.

Mannfred von Carstein was painted by army painter Aidan Daly.

Aidan: Before painting this huge kit, I decided to build Mannfred and Ashigaroth (his dread abyssal) separately. The main reason for this was because I would be undercoating Mannfred with Chaos Black while his mount would be undercoated with Skull White to make painting the bones and skulls easier. A useful tip when painting a rider separately is to make a hole in the model’s undercarriage (for want of a better word) with a Hobby Drill and attach it to a spare flying stand to make it easier to hold. When I’d finished painting both sub-assemblies, I took Mannfred off the flying stand and glued him to the saddle with Super Glue: Thick.

I painted the bones of the Dread Abyssal first, applying Reikland Fleshshade really carefully to avoid getting it on the skulls underneath. I then drybrushed the whole model to give the bones a dry, powdery texture before applying a couple of careful layers on the head to make it stand out. When painting Mannfred, I decided to spend a little longer on the focal parts of the model: his skin, cloak and weapons, which is why they have more stages than normal. It’s worth putting extra time into areas like this, especially if they’re on such an impressive centrepiece model. DH

The Mortarchs are Nagash’s favoured servants, Undead lords of immense power and influence who lead his skeletal armies across the world. Dan travelled to the bone forges of Nagashizzar to talk to Edgar Ramos, the artisan behind these terrifying new characters.

He may be a relative newcomer to the team, but Edgar Ramos is already carving a name for himself in the Studio sculpting department. Hot on the heels of the Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun, Edgar stunned us with the Mortarchs of Nagash.

With the three Mortarchs arrayed on the table between us, it’s hard to believe they all come from the same plastic kit. “Initially, it was just going to be Arkhan in the box,” says Edgar, “but we (myself and Seb Perbet) wanted to give people more modelling and painting options. Arkhan is an iconic Tomb Kings character and we thought it would be cool to have an iconic Vampire too, representing both sides of Nagash’s Undead Legion. Mannfred von Carstein was the logical choice, as he’s one of the main protagonists in Nagash’s story.”

But Edgar wasn’t content with just Arkhan and Mannfred. “I really wanted to fit another character onto the frame, someone really different. Going through all the background, it was Neferata that stood out. She’s female where the other two are male, she’s lived during the time of Nagash and she created the race of Vampires from his Elixir of Life. Oh, and she absolutely hates Nagash. Perfect.”

“Seb had already done the concept work for Arkhan (see right), so I started work on him first. Having a skeleton as a character is an interesting challenge as they don’t have much to work with, they’re all bones! You’ve got to use the model’s armour, clothes, weapons and wargear to explain them. Arkhan’s like Krell in that respect, they’re both skeletons, but they look completely different. One thing I did, though, was define Arkhan’s teeth. Part of his background talks about him chewing juseh root, which turned his teeth black (hence his name). With our mould-making technology as good as it is nowadays, I though it would be cool to add that level of detail to him.”

Mannfred von Carstein is already a well-established character, with two models to represent him. “Mannfred was a fun challenge,” continues Edgar. “I was happy with how he looked, I just tweaked him a bit to make him look more powerful. His weapons were the focal points really, I wanted to make them more ethereal and magical. He is a powerful mage, after all. I was also really pleased to see how the ’Eavy Metal team painted his Dread Abyssal. I sculpted the face on Mannfred’s steed to look more bat-like, so I was really happy when they painted it black.

“Neferata was the trickiest of the three Mortarchs to sculpt. There was a model for her a long time ago (she had a cat if I recall correctly), but there was essentially nothing to work from. The Coven Throne was my first source of inspiration, as the three Vampires on it are Lahmians. Neferata was the queen of Lahmia and the first Vampire, so it felt right that she shared their style. I wanted to make her more morbid, though, to fit in with Nagash and the other Mortarchs. She wears a similar mitre to Arkhan, in the Nehekharan style, but embellished with bones. I also wanted her riding side-saddle on a throne. She is a queen after all, so she has to look elegant. Deadly, but elegant. Her Dread Abyssal is also the most unusual of the three. Arkhan and Mannfred ride wild, savage beasts. I wanted Neferata’s to look more regal, less bestial.”

On the subject of the dread abyssals, Edgar had further insights. “The skulls aren’t physical skulls,” explains Edgar. “They’re metaphorical spiritual ones. Deep, I know. They represent the souls of the dead devoured by the Dread Abyssals in the afterlife. They are given life through the souls they’ve feasted on, that’s why they’re painted an ethereal blue or fiery red rather than bone.” DH

ILLUSTRIOUS BEGINNINGS

When he’s not sculpting kits of his own, Miniatures Designer Seb Perbet can often be found illustrating concept drawings for other sculptors to work from.

“Arkhan is one of the oldest characters in Warhammer,” says Seb, “and his story is closely tied to that of Nagash. When we decided to bring the Great Necromancer back, I knew we had to bring Arkhan back too. Of the three Mortarchs, he was the first one to be designed. I wanted him to emulate the style of the Tomb Kings, with cartouches and gold details, but also to look like a mini-Nagash, wearing the same style of armour as his master, and emulating him by carrying a sword and staff. Something that’s not immediately obvious is how big Arkhan is. Were he standing rather than sitting, he would be about 40mm tall (compared to most 28mm miniatures), his naturally large Khemrian physique enhanced by years of magical dabbling.”

BLACK WARPSTONE

Both Nagash and his Mortarchs wear gemstones of black Warpstone on their armour. “All Warpstone is black,” explains Seb, “though the unrefined Warpstone used by the Skaven is normally tinged a sickly green. Black Warpstone has been cut and shaped, imbued with Dark Magic by Nagash, making it even more powerful and, more importantly, even more evil.”

Join us for a round-up of the week as we share comment, opinion and trivia on all the latest releases, plus other fun tidbits that have cropped up in the White Dwarf bunker this week. This week it’s amazing imagery, some blatant Necromancy and a towering Treeman.

ART IMITATES UNDEATH

When editor Jes saw the stunning photography for the new Undead models, he was blown away, particularly by this piece (above), which you may have seen on the cover of last week’s issue of White Dwarf. Jes says it reminds him of some of the classic Nagash art from his youth (Jes’s youth, that is, not Nagash’s, although both were quite a long time ago).

This fine piece was taken by lion-maned White Dwarf photographer Martyn Lyon. “I wanted to recreate the feel of an Undead horde, a shambling legion that went on as far as the eye could see,” says Martyn. “Warhammer artwork is so iconic, but we rarely show miniatures that way. They’re always ranked up in units, looking orderly and neat. I wanted to break that mould and mix everything up to really capture that surging mass.

“In many ways, I treated the shot the same as I would a painting, keeping the models in the foreground out of focus, almost hazy, while Nagash dominates the centre of the picture. My favourite part of the picture is the Black Knights on the left, with the Coven Throne behind them.”

Glenn, Erik and Martyn are responsible for all the great photography you see in White Dwarf and Warhammer: Visions. You can see a showcase of their Nagash photography (and some other Undead treats) in issue 8 of Warhammer: Visions, on sale 6 September.

PHOTOGRAPHING MINIATURES

Photographing miniatures isn’t easy, but there are things you can do to improve the results. “It’s always worth researching the technical aspects of photography, like lighting and focus,” says Photo Editor Glenn More. “There are other parts that are specific to photographing models, though,” says photographer Erik Niemz. So, here are Glenn and Erik’s top tips:

1. Even lighting. Diffused sunlight through a window and daylight bulbs work best. Avoid using the flash.

2. Use a simple backdrop that doesn’t confuse the miniature’s outline. Clean white paper that’s smooth and even is good, chequered tablecloths are bad.

3. Find the golden angle – the shot that encapsulates the model. The face should always be visible. Check out the New Releases section for a few examples.

4. Fill the frame with the model, but make sure you get it all in. Send the original files too, there’s no need to crop or edit them.

5. Learn to use your camera in manual mode. Pay particular attention to how the aperture works. A small aperture (f/16-22) will help get your models more in focus.

Below you can see a simple set-up, the kind Dan uses for pictures on the What’s New Today blog on the Games Workshop website. A large piece of white paper taped to a sturdy backdrop provides a neutral background. The lamp provides some much-needed light and is aimed from the same direction as the camera. This means you won’t need to use the flash setting on the camera, which can be too harsh. You’ll also notice we use a tripod to help overcome the problem of shaky hands. On the right you can see an unedited picture taken using this set-up.

SEND US YOUR PHOTOS!

We love getting submissions from readers, and we’re always on the lookout for great photos of the best painted miniatures to feature in Reader’s Model of the Week and Warhammer: Visions. Why not try out these handy tips and, if the results are up to scratch, send them to team@whitedwarf.co.uk. Good luck!

Our Reader’s Model this week is Brother-Captain Ixion of the Ultramarines seventh Company, painted by Stuart Thomas.

The model is actually the web exclusive miniature that was released to celebrate the launch of the new Games Workshop webstore a few months ago. Not only has Stuart painted him in the traditional blue and gold of the Ultramarines, but he has also given him a purple cape to show that he is the Captain of the seventh Company. If you look closely, you can just make out the name ‘Ixion’ painted carefully onto the scroll on the back of his power fist.

If you’ve painted a miniature that you think is worthy of a place in White Dwarf then why not send a picture to:

team@whitedwarf.co.uk

How did ’Eavy Metal get such smooth blending on Nagash’s cape? “I used the same colours as the army painting team,” says Dave Heathfield, “but used a technique called feathering, where you apply several very thin layers of paint over the darker colour below, to smooth the transition between them. A couple of thinned-down washes of Coelia Greenshade unified the colours even more and helped created that ethereal green tint.”

We’re all fans of marking our victories here in the bunker, and this trophy spike from the Dark Eldar Raider is a cracking example. Our favourite bit? The skull with bionic eye still attached

It’s not the first time we’ve picked a sound-based weapon as our Weapon of the Week. Back in issue 16 we showed the death-dealing pipe organ known as the Doom Siren. “The Sonic Blaster is the lead guitar of auditory assaults,” says Dan, wiggling his fingers madly as if playing a (very small) imaginary guitar. “It’s the weaponised equivalent of a soaring guitar solo with highs so shrill and rapid they turn your brain to jelly.” Judging by the din emitted from Dan’s headphones as he writes, he knows what he’s talking about.

Ben Humber is currently reading through the Horus Heresy series, and the team has been enjoying his reactions to many plot twists. A particular scene has sparked quite a lively discussion in the office: when Garviel Loken fights Khârn the Betrayer, the battle ends with the latter being impaled on the spikes of a Land Raider’s ram. Ben asks: how can he be jammed on a ram when Land Raiders have front assault ramps? Gnarled Warhammer 40,000 fans will already know the answer, as will those familiar with Forge World’s Horus Heresy range: earlier models of Land Raiders didn’t have an assault ramp – instead they had a bladed ram at the front instead.

Notes from the worlds of Warhammer. This week: Necromancers.

HEINRICH KEMMLER

Heinrich Kemmler was a promising Necromancer until an unfortunate series of events saw him defeated by his rivals and put to flight. What could have been his demise instead proved his route to power, however, as he discovered the tomb of the Liche Lord Krell, a Chaos Champion who proved a source of almost boundless power for the Necromancer. Over the years the pair terrorised swathes of the Old World, earning the particular enmity of the Bretonnians. Curiously, when Nagash returned, Kemmler did not throw his lot in with the Great Necromancer, but instead the gods of Chaos: something Arkhan the Black took grave exception to.

DIETER HELSNICHT

A wizard from Middenheim, Dieter Helsnicht learned of the cursed city of Mourkain and travelled there to gain a greater understanding of the dark arts. Eventually his travels took him to Nagashizzar, where he was changed forever. Reborn the Doom Lord, he terrorised Middenland, raising armies of the dead to do his bidding. Though he was defeated at the Battle of Beekerhoven by a Kislevite and Middenland army, he escaped on his Manticore to continue a campaign of terror against the living. When Nagash arose, Helsnicht recognised the master’s presence and immediately set off to unite with the Great Necromancer.

FREDERIK VAN HAL

The ruler of Sylvania during the time of a great plague and Skaven invasion, Van Hal eventually turned to Necromancy to defeat the ratmen. His atrocities were many and for generations thereafter his descendants have sought atonement.

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

WHAT MANNER OF ORK IS THIS?

Hi Grombrindal, please settle a small argument my friend and I have been having. Boss Snikrot is an Ork Kommando, so that makes him a Blood Axe, right?
- Merv ‘Greenskin’ James

GROMBRINDAL SAYS

I don’t like Orks (or Orcs) enough to worry about the differences between them. Big, small, strong or weak, the only interest I have is burying my axe in their skulls.

However, I’m aware of the greenskin in question – always worth keeping an eye on the sneaky ones. My minion Dan reckons that Boss Snikrot is in fact not a Blood Axe at all, but rather a very unusual Goff, citing the black and white dags as evidence. Adam, on the other hand, says that the Codex supplement Waaagh! Ghazghkull insinuates he’s a Blood Axe, and that Blood Axes and Goffs are a match made in heaven. They’ve not been much help, have they?
- Grombrindal

Treemen have been springing up all over the place recently, no doubt awakened by the Undead gnawing at their roots. This fresh-looking chap was painted by Rebecca, our Production Lead. “You may have noticed that he looks really similar to the Treeman converted by Chris Peach for issue 14,” says Rebecca. “He’s actually the test Treeman from that article, the one Chris practiced the conversion on. I wanted him to look really full of life, so I painted him a strong, deep green with his leaves a bright yellow. I used a load of spare mushrooms from the Under-Empire Basing Kit to add colour to his base, too, like he’s standing in a magical glade.”

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