ISSUE 40

1st November 2014

Editor: Jes Bickham
jes@whitedwarf.co.uk

Publisher: Paul Lyons
paul@whitedwarf.co.uk

If you’re a fan of ravening extra-galactic beings from the frozen void beyond the stars, then 2014 is a very good year for you… here come the Tyranids for a second bite out of the Imperium! And with this week’s first new release being the terrifying Toxicrene – a vicious tangle of taloned tentacles slathered in poison – that bite is bound to be a very big one indeed. The Toxicrene is joined by the Maleceptor, a horrific escalation of Tyranid psychic warfare in the form of a monstrous beast that is the Shadow of the Warp made manifest. We’re proud to present the rules for these remarkable new miniatures, too.

We’re also ecstatic to bring you a new minigame called Wrath of the Glottkin in this issue – why not write in and let us know if it’s Ethrac, Otto or Ghurk who reaps the highest tally in your games? Happy hunting and enjoy issue 40 of White Dwarf!

First encountered on the moon of Ixoi, the Toxicrene is a nightmarish vision, a tentacled monstrosity that only an alien mind could conceive. Shrouded by clouds of toxic gas and sentient spores, the Toxicrene can shred even the toughest foes with its lashing tentacles.

The Toxicrene is the zenith of the Venomthrope genus, an innately poisonous creature with the monstrous bulk of a Haruspex. From the feeder tendrils hanging from its jaw to the 12 barbed tentacles on its forelimbs, every part of the Toxicrene is full of virulent poisons and deadly toxins. As the Toxicrene thunders across the battlefield, these semi-sentient weapon symbiotes thrash and flail around it, lashing out at anything that gets too near. Large targets such as Wraithknights and Riptide Battlesuits have little chance of survival; upon contact with such a foe, the Toxicrene will use its whip-like tendrils to entangle their limbs, peeling away their armour before delivering its venomous payload. Lesser foes are sliced, shredded and decapitated in droves.

This multi-part plastic kit also includes a couple of great posing options, enabling you to build the Toxicrene crouched low or standing upright, its clawed feet resting on a fallen Space Marine Terminator.

Above - The Toxicrene’s head is sunk back into its thorax, rows of toxic gas sacs bulging ominously from beneath its carapace.

Above - An extra spinal column feeds any absorbed material directly back to the Toxicrene’s gas sacs.

Above - An optional extra on the kit, the Toxicrene can be seen here crushing a Space Marine Terminator beneath its clawed feet.

The Maleceptor is a horrific new creation of the Tyranid Hive Mind. Combining the brute strength of an Exocrine with the psychic might of a Zoanthrope brood, the Maleceptor can crush its enemies both with its claws and with the formidable power of its mind.

If proof were ever needed of the sinister intelligence of the Hive Mind, the Maleceptor is surely it. As the Hive Fleets maraud deeper into the galaxy, the Hive Mind learns and adapts, spawning new monstrosities as specific, considered responses to the resistance it meets.

The Maleceptor is the ultimate answer to the problem posed by the psykers of the Tyranids’ prey-races; it is a grotesque living conduit for the Shadow in the Warp. Indeed, the Maleceptor’s revolting bulk is little more than an armoured container for said conduit – a massive, six-lobed, brain-like organ, engineered to destroy flesh and metal alike by manifesting horrific psychic powers. What – if anything – survives its mental onslaught will then surely fall beneath the fury of its massive scything talons and clawed feet, for the Maleceptor is as adept at pulverising its foes in close combat as it is exterminating them with a flex of its alien mind.

Left - From above, it’s possible to see all six of the Maleceptor’s mind-nodes. The chimneys situated between them are used to vent the colossal amounts of heat they generate.

Top right - The Maleceptor comes from the Zoanthrope genus. Like its floating cousins, it has no eyes, relying on its psychic link to the Hive Mind to guide it across the battlefield.

Bottom right - There are two different hip joints in this plastic kit, enabling you to build the Maleceptor rearing up or, as in this case, pawing at the ground ready to pounce on its unfortunate prey.

Since their first encounter with the Tyranids in 589.M41, Imperial scholars have been working to uncover their secrets. One of their first startling discoveries was that Tyranids don’t simply evolve to overcome unexpected battlefield situations – instead, the Hive Mind consciously creates new bioforms, adapting existing genuses to counter each new threat encountered.

The Maleceptor is an adaptation of the Zoanthrope genus, a Tyranid familial grouping that uses psychic powers to manipulate, terrify and destroy their foes. Like Zoanthropes, the Maleceptor is a psychic powerhouse, its whole upper body given over to the vast organic processor through which it conducts the power of the Hive Mind. Unlike its smaller cousins, the Maleceptor’s mind-node is so vast it can’t levitate under its own psychic power, a problem easily solved by the Hive Mind; it simply built the Maleceptor a body able to carry its vast cranium, a tough, bonded exoskeleton and crown-like carapace also providing protection from enemy fire.

The Toxicrene comes from an entirely different genus – that of the Venomthrope. The Venomthrope’s toxin sacs make them especially dangerous to lightly-armoured infantry, but their flailing tentacles lack the strength to penetrate armour. Enter the Toxicrene. Combining horrifically potent toxins with the monstrous bulk of a larger Tyranid organism, the Toxicrene has the strength and size to grapple with bigger foes, its tentacle limbs stretching wider than an Imperial Baneblade. While its razor-sharp weapon symbiotes and feeder tendrils are its primary form of attack, the Toxicrene also has a less obvious way of killing its foes. Imperial scholars thought the smog emanating from its chimneys was no more dangerous than that given off by the Venomthropes. They were wrong…

Everyone loves dice, so you’ll definitely want to get your claws on these Tyranid ones.

While the Tyranid Hive Mind spends most of its time devising new ways to devour the galaxy, it took some time out to create these new Tyranid dice. Etched in chitin harvested from the carapaces of fallen Hive Tyrants, these bone-coloured dice are engraved with rich purple dots, the colours of Hive Fleet Leviathan. In place of a single dot, the ‘one’ face bears a stylised Ripper, the iconic symbol of the Tyranid race since they first arrived in the galaxy…

The dice are presented in a sturdy tin with shiny Tyranid imagery on the front, a desirable artefact for any Tyranid collector. Pick up a set or three quickly, though, as they’re only available while stocks last (and you’ll need them for all those twin-linked devourers…).

Warhammer 40,000: The Rules is now available as a small-format, hardback book!

If you love playing Warhammer 40,000, you’ll be happy to know The Rules are now available in a small-format edition from www.games-workshop.com.

Utilising long-forgotten miniaturisation processes from the dark age of technology, this edition contains all the rules and same great content as its bigger brother. Easy to carry to and from battles, it’s also much easier to reference while holding on to dice and templates during a mid-game rules clarification. This edition features an austere white cover with a textured red skull on the front, while the dreaded Huron Blackheart leers from the background. It also has three different coloured page ribbons, perfect for marking useful rules and charts for reference.

‘Iron Hand’ Straken often relies on brute force to get a job done. How will he fare against the Orks?

Previously only available as an eBook, Straken by Black Library newcomer Toby Frost is now available as a hardback novel.

Having recently defeated a Tyranid invasion, the Catachan 2nd are relocated to the backwater world of Dulma’lin where the Orks are being surprisingly industrial. Frost’s portrayal of Straken is exceptional, his dialogue clipped and militaristic, but with a hint of dark humour that fits the Catachan mentality perfectly. When the Catachans come face-to-face with the Orks, the fighting is, as you’d expect, brutal, but quickly degenerates into guerilla warfare, the Imperial forces badly outnumbered. Straken also finds himself in war of stealth with a particularly sneaky Ork, one that’s collecting his men’s dog tags…

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about Colonel Straken, you’ll definitely want to listen to the audio drama Waiting Death by Steve Lyons. Also, check out the short story A Hero’s Death, by Toby Frost, available as an eBook from www.blacklibrary.com

As Abaddon’s forces invade the Pandorax system, the Imperial defenders must thwart his plans.

In Pandorax, C Z Dunn tells the events of Abaddon’s spectacularly violent invasion of the Pandorax system, weaving a narrative that is told from a host of different perspectives. Through these various eyes (Space Marines, Imperial Guardsmen, Inquisition agents and more) we witness the unstinting brutality of the Black Legion’s offensive, as well as learning some fascinating things concerning the darker lore of the 41st Millennium. Fans of the Grey Knights and Dark Angels in particular would do well to pick this one up and scour its contents.

Now re-released in a new, Space Marine Battles binding, Pandorax features all of the great additional content of the original, with maps, portraits and more.

The Imperium is beset by aliens, heretics and daemons. It is the Inquisition who must protect it.

Dark Heresy is the roleplaying game of clandestine investigations and combat in the secret war to protect the Imperium from its foes. You play the role of an Inquisitorial acolyte, charged with rooting out heresy and sedition on behalf of your masters. Your character is drawn from the rich background of the Dark Millennium: will you play a tech-priest or sanctioned psyker, Guardsman or bounty hunter?

Our friends at Fantasy Flight Games recently released Dark Heresy 2nd Edition, with an all-new setting and rules to your games. Dark Heresy is contained within a massive, shelf-breaking 448-page rulebook that contains all the mechanics for your adventures, along with a guide for creating your characters and the rich and detailed setting of the Askellon Sector. Askellon is a place wracked by perpetual Warp storms, a condition that makes it rife for heresy and sedition and a fertile breeding ground for the enemies that the Inquisition seeks. Only constant vigilance will keep the Imperium safe. Remember, innocence proves nothing.

Warhammer 40,000: Conquest is a new card game from Fantasy Flight that simulates the epic battle to secure the Traxis Sector. Players must marshal their resources to fight for critical worlds in the sector, trying to outthink each other with a combination of cunning, subterfuge and outright aggression.

With 200 cards split across seven factions (Space Marines, Imperial Guard, Orks, Chaos, Dark Eldar, Eldar, and Tau) Conquest has hours and hours of playing potential, as you harness the unique abilities of each race and strike alliances to give your forces an edge in battle.

Contemptor Pattern Dreadnoughts are relics of the Great Crusade, powerful war machines piloted by fallen heroes. During the Horus Heresy, many of these once-noble warriors declared their allegiance to the traitor Horus, no few Night Lords among them.

Whether you’re fighting battles set during the Horus Heresy or games of Warhammer 40,000, the Night Lords Contemptor Dreadnought makes a fantastic addition to any Night Lords army.

As one of the more radical Space Marine Legions, the Night Lords often engaged in terror tactics and wholesale genocide to win their battles both before and during the Horus Heresy. It’s no wonder, then, that nods to their imminent fall to Chaos are suggested across the model. Some, such as the spiked trim on the Contemptor’s greaves and shoulder guards, are subtle details that mirror those found on Chaos Space Marines. Others, like the flensed human heads hanging from the Dreadnought’s sarcophagus are not so subtle. And, if you were in any doubt, the bat-winged skull motif on the Dreadnought’s torso and the sinister skull-helm clearly mark this Contemptor out as a member of the VIII Legion.

Like all Contemptor Dreadnoughts, this resin kit can be assembled in a variety of poses and equipped with a wide range of weapons available from Forge World.

Left - The Night Lords use the Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought as a terror weapon, flayed flesh draped across its right shoulder and left knee.

Right - Contemptor Pattern Dreadnoughts have access to a wide range of weapons, in this case a twin-linked heavy bolter and a chainfist. They are available separately from www.forgeworld.co.uk.

The Fall of the Eldar doomed the Eldar Race to a sorrowful twilight aboard the Craftworlds or an eternity in the shadows of Commorragh. But there were those who foresaw tragedy and found another escape…

During the Fall, the degeneration of the Eldar did not go wholly unnoticed or unopposed. Some, the more far-sighted, began to openly criticise the laxity of their fellow citizens, and to warn against the effects of hedonistic cults. These Eldar were mostly ignored or else treated as narrow-minded fools and fanatics. Some decided to leave the Eldar worlds, and settle new planets free of the creeping corruption. They are known as the Exodites, and their descendants still exist in the galaxy today.

Amongst a race naturally indulgent and hedonistic, the Exodites were reviled as dour fanatics obsessed with misery and self-denial. There were some whose dire premonitions were perhaps another form of insanity, simply one more obsession to be taken to inhuman extremes. Others were genuine survivalists who chose exile over degradation and destruction. In an assortment of spacecraft the Exodites abandoned their homes. Many died out in open space. Some reached new worlds only to be slain by marauding Orks or natural predators. Many more survived. For the most part, they headed as far away from the main concentration of Eldar worlds as they could reach.

Upon the fringes of the galaxy the Exodites made new homes. The worlds they settled were savage and life was often hard for a people unused to physical work and self-denial. When the final cataclysm erupted most of the Exodite worlds were far from the psychic epicentre. The resultant psychic implosion wiped out the rest of the Eldar race and left a gaping hole in the fabric of space. Many Craftworlds rode out the psychic shockwave and survived, but the Exodites had already reached places of safety – or else perished with the rest of their race.

The Eldar that lived there have learned how to cultivate crops and harvest other natural resources. The psychoplastics necessary for Eldar technology are rare and precious on these remote planets, so the Exodites utilise other substances and rely upon simpler ways.

The Craftworld Eldar regard the Exodites as rustic and rather simple folk, vigorous and dangerously individualistic in a way that is quite unlike their own introverted societies. Where the Craftworlds cling to the past and preserve all they can of their fallen civilisation, the Exodites have turned their backs upon ancient traditions in favour of a simpler and harder way of life. Their minds are tougher and more straightforward but not so subtle and ultimately less powerful than the Craftworld Eldar.

The Exodite worlds are untamed and often dangerous planets, their landscapes without the engineered sterility of the Craftworlds of the ancient, now lost worlds of the Eldar empire. Mighty rivers roar unchecked over their natural flood plains. Massive forests stretch over thousands of miles of virgin woodland. The few meagre settlements co-exist with wild beasts of all kinds.

Most of the Exodite worlds are home to gigantic beasts which the Exodites know by a name taken from Eldar myth: that of dragons. It is likely that these creatures are native to many planets, but that the early settlers also spread them throughout all the worlds they settled so that they are now common. The Exodites follow the dragon herds as they graze the endless grasslands of the great plains. By carefully managing them, the Eldar live upon them, eating their flesh, utilising their skins to make clothing and even drinking their blood. Although this lifestyle is in many respects a primitive one, the Exodites have many advanced technologies and are familiar with all the advanced materials used on the Craftworlds. It is by choice that they live as they do, and their way of life has proven perhaps every bit as successful as that of the other Eldar.

There are many different kinds of dragons, some unique to specific worlds, and they are used in different ways according to their size and nature. The megadons are massive herbivores, slow-witted and easy to manage, though deadly if panicked or mistreated. These creatures provide most of the material resources of the Exodites, and small ones are used to transport cargos and people across the great plains. A large megadon can carry a massive structure upon its back, and they bear the most enormous weights without concern. Smaller carnivorous dragons ridden by Exodite warriors are used to herd and control the megadons. Warriors are virtually born in the tall dragon saddles, and wield their long lances with consummate ease. A stab with a lance will turn or stop a megadon without harming it, but the same blow would knock even the most hardy Eldar to the ground dead.

The Exodites are a tribal people. Each tribe owes allegiance to a local ruling tribe which in turn owes fealty to the planet’s king and his royal tribe. Although not openly warlike, the Exodites are a robust, self-confident people and they have the legendary pride of the Eldar race. Open wars between tribes are rare, but skirmishes between rival Dragon Knights are common. Such matters are seen as part of a Knight’s training, and the dangers of death or serious injury are an accepted part of a young warrior’s life.

War and battle is not uncommon on the worlds of the Exodites. Ork raids are a constant threat, and the Great Devourer sees the boundless biomass of their worlds as a feast to surpass any other. Amongst the most persistent foes are the human settlers of the Knight worlds, which lie closely intermingled with the planets of the Exodites. The nobles that pilot Imperial Knights are aggressive, warlike people whose determined independence makes it difficult for even the Imperium to control them. Like the Exodites they are descendants of ancient settlers, raised amidst constant danger and proud of their autonomy. Their fierce war machines are a common sight on the Exodite worlds. Battles between giant war machines and valiant Eldar dragon warriors are always hard-fought and destructive. But the Eldar are capable of aggression too. They use the webway to reach the Knight Worlds where their raids are often so devastating that entire planets are subsequently abandoned by their human inhabitants.

The wraithbone core of each Craftworld acts as a repository and conductor of psychic power. It is also the ultimate refuge for the spirits of its people in death. Every Exodite world has its own equivalent to the infinity circuit, called the world spirit. This is an immense store of psychic energy where the minds of dead Eldar are preserved forever. Exodites too wear spirit stones and when they die they are taken beneath the earth into one of the great tribal barrows. They are laid to rest there and their spirit stones are broken upon the altars of the world spirit.

Each world spirit is a complex psychic energy grid that extends over the entire planet, stretching between the tribal barrows, stone circles and standing stones made from psychically interactive crystal. These places are where the spirit world and the material world can interact, links with the webway where the living can talk to the dead.

Because their worlds are home to their departed spirits and shelter them from the predations of Chaos, the Exodites will fight very fiercely to protect their planets. To abandon a world is akin to abandoning the souls of your ancestors to the Warp, for without constant replenishment the world spirits diminish slowly and become vulnerable. Just as the wraithbone core of a Craftworld can unwittingly harbour a daemonic intelligence, so the standing stones can provide egress to daemons from the warp should the psychic paths be left unguarded. For a daemonic army to pour from the barrows and standing stones of the Exodites would be the realisation of their worst nightmare, but such things have happened in the distant past and remain an ever-present danger today.

Chaos is ascendant and the Lord of the End Times has unleashed his invasion of the world. Hordes of Daemons, Beastmen and Warriors of Chaos stand ready to drown the world in slaughter and insanity. We examine collecting a Legions of Chaos army.

CHAOS UNBOUND: THE HORDE OF ARCHAON

As the End Times continue, the armies of Chaos have changed in their nature. Once-disparate warbands of Chaos are coming together: bray herds of Beastmen are uniting in common cause with Chaos Warriors, bolstered by the foot soldiers of the gods as Daemons of Chaos press through the thinning veil of reality to join the cause in the mortal realm. It is a time when the greatest mortal Champions of the Dark Gods stand shoulder to shoulder with Daemon Princes and monsters from the blighted north. For the other races of the Warhammer world, the future has never been so imperilled. But for the scions of the Dark Gods? Well, it’s never been better.

Warhammer: Glottkin contains all the rules and information you need to take your Beastmen, Warriors of Chaos and Daemons of Chaos armies and turn them into a unified Legions of Chaos force. That is a really exciting thing for Warhammer collectors who have already dabbled with Chaos armies in the past or who simply like the idea of a Chaos horde of their own. Now is the perfect time to begin.

At its most basic, this new army list lets you cherry pick all of your favourite things from the three Chaos armies and include them in one unstoppable horde. Here in the bunker, we’ve been musing over the kinds of Legions of Chaos armies people might go about collecting. The first, and probably the most popular, is to create an army such as Archaon himself might lead, an army united in its adoration of Chaos in all its many forms. In a case such as this, every Chaos God would be represented, with a multitude of Daemons, Beastmen and Warriors of every stripe and persuasion. This is a Warhammer collector’s dream come true! With an army such as this you aren’t bound by any convention except loyalty to the Dark Gods. So, if you fancy adding a new Chaos model to your army, go for it. In this way Putrid Blightkings can walk into battle alongside Daemonettes of Slaanesh. A Ghorgon (a favourite here in the bunker) could advance alongside the swaying bulk of a Warshrine of Chaos. There is no limit to the possibilities this army presents and the more random it appears (some might say Chaotic) the truer it is to the will of the Chaos Gods.

On the battlefield this kind of army can be an unholy terror, bringing in all the advantages of the different Chaos Gods. Tzeentchian sorcerers are notoriously dangerous when it comes to hurling around magical powers, while Seekers of Slaanesh are among the fastest light cavalry in Warhammer. Minotaurs can deliver a bone-crunching charge, especially alongside the likes of Chaos Knights, Gorebeast Chariots and Bloodcrushers of Khorne.

The horde to the right is just one example of what you can do with a Legions of Chaos army. Here, Archaon leads Warriors of Chaos, Daemons and Beastmen. While a Soul Grinder and Hellcannon hurl long range fire into the foe, Plague Drones, Chaos Knights and a Ghorgon form the vanguard of the host. Terrifying.

CHAMPIONS OF CHAOS

The End Times is the moment for the greatest heroes and villains of the world to rise up and fight for their cause. Remember, a Legions of Chaos army can spend half of its available points value on Lords – allowing the mightiest warriors and wizards of the age to stride the battlefield in the name of the Dark Gods.

NEW SPELL: SUMMON INFERNAL LEGION

Every Chaos Wizard (from a Bray-Shaman to a Lord of Change) chosen as part of a Legions of Chaos army gets an extra spell: Summon Infernal Legion. This enables the Wizard in question to summon a new unit of Daemons of Chaos, worth up to 100 points, to the battlefield. Of course, if your Wizard is feeling powerful, he can summon a bigger regiment, but with greater risk. Time to get painting Daemons, people – the End Times are here!

BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD: VALKIA’S WAR HOST

Having taken a look at a Legions of Chaos army that draws on the multifaceted nature of Chaos, it’s worth shining a spotlight on a different type of army: an army aligned to a particular Chaos God. Some take this route to glory owing to a personal allegiance to their chosen god, others are drawn to the miniatures (more than one person in the White Dwarf bunker has fallen under the spell of the new Nurgle models). Either way, you get to take your pick from units of Warriors, Beastmen, Daemons and the rest, unified in their veneration of your chosen god. In this case, we’ve chosen the followers of Khorne, but it could just as easily have been Nurgle, Tzeentch or Slaanesh.

The army on the right is inspired by a small piece of background that appears in the End Times books: Archaon has dispatched Valkia the Bloody, the handmaiden of Khorne, into the northern reaches of Naggaroth on a mission to slaughter all in her path.

Choosing an army like this is great for helping you to forge a narrative for your army, and for your games. If you are playing the role of Valkia the Bloody at the head of a merciless throng of frenzied followers of Khorne, you’ll want to play in a certain, rather bloody, way: crazed charges with no regards for the odds, issuing bold challenges against the best and brightest characters in the enemy force and showing an utter disdain for magic in all its guises – all the hallmarks of Khorne.

Then there’s the look of the army to think about. For some units – such as Skullcrushers and Bloodletters – looking ‘Khornate’ is in their nature: they’re simply dripping in the iconography of the Blood God. For others, you’ll perhaps wants a way of unifying them with the rest of your army. The simple route is to paint armour plates red or brass across the whole army and to use matching spot colours on your units. There are loads of spare parts on the various Khornate kits, too, so you can give your Chaos Marauders or Beastmen a distinctly Khornate banner from the Bloodletters kit, for instance, nicely tying Beast, Warrior and Daemon together. A few Khorne champions, such as Skulltaker or Scyla Anfingrimm, will make suitably bloody figureheads for the army.

THE EYE OF THE GODS

Something that really stands out when using the Legions of Chaos army list is the presence of the Dark Gods – every aspect of the rules for this army hooks you into the ascending power of Khorne, Nurgle, Slaanesh and Tzeentch. The Reign of Chaos table has you on tenterhooks in each of your magic phases. When you roll your dice to see how strongly the Winds of Magic are blowing, you also discover just what the Chaos gods are up to. The results can be anything from a rain of fire hurled down by the Changer of Ways to a surge of Chaotic energy that invigorates your Daemonic models. If you are playing against the Legion of Chaos, do not despair. While the Reign of Chaos rules add a palpable sense of excitement to proceedings, the Legions of Chaos army doesn’t have things all its own way.

The power of Chaos can ebb away at the roll of a dice, leaving Daemons vulnerable, or the Chaos Gods might turn their wrath on a champion they think is failing their great plan.

The Eye of the Gods is also ever upon your army, urging your warriors to greater feats. Each time one of your Champions, Heroes or Lords with this special rule vanquishes a foe in a challenge, he gets to roll on the special table to find out whether the gods have seen his work. This really adds to the flavour and character of any battle, as your heroes seek out the leaders of the enemy army and duel them – it brings the magic and excitement of Warhammer’s background into your game, as the gods reward (or smite) those who catch their gaze.

ARMIES OF THE GODS

While we have presented a Khornate army here, it’s just as easy to imagine a Nurgle army led by the Glottkin (just look at our Battle Report last week to see this in all its glory), a Tzeentchian horde led by Vilitch the Curseling or even a Slaanesh host led by the crown prince of preening (and devilish swordplay) Sigvald the Magnificent.

The Glottkin have happened upon a rival warband gathered to worship one of Nurgle’s bitter rivals. Before the suns sets on another day, the brothers will have reaped more souls for the pestilent master – Wrath of the Glottkin is a minigame for three players.

Ahead, Otto could see the Temple of Skulls. Beneath the livid red skies it glowed bloody red. A fitting sight, Otto mused – the pawns of the Blood God were crawling all over it. Beneath him, Otto could feel the inexorable plod of Ghurk as his gigantic brother stalked forwards, each mighty footstep sounding as a moist crunch upon the field of bleached bones.

“We’ll kill them quickly,” Ethrac croaked beside him, his worm-tongue mangling the words. “The Grandfather demands it.”

“Ghurrrrrrk,” rumbled the monster beneath them.

“A contest it is then,” Otto agreed, tugging at the sodden tube of entrails hanging from his stomach and giving it a tentative squeeze. As a gush of sizzling filth jetted out of the torn end, he smiled. “Whoever claims the most is the winner. Let the harvest begin.”

About Wrath of the Glottkin

This is a game for three players that recreates the adventures of the brothers Glott as they hunt down and kill enemy warbands in the north. The winner of the game is the brother who kills the most enemy models by the end of the game.

You will need:
- The Glottkin (see Choose your Glott).
- 20 or so ‘enemies’. We use Marauders of Chaos, devoted to Khorne, but the Glotts are perfectly willing to kill Slaanesh worshippers, Tzeentchians or anyone else Nurgle takes a dislike to.
- A handful of dice and a tape measure.
- A playing area (this can be any surface, from your kitchen table to a rockery – but we found that using a single tile from a Realm of Battle Gameboard was pretty much perfect for the task).

CHOOSE YOUR GLOTT

The Glottkin model in this game represents all three of the players – you are the famous brothers Glott. To work out which specific Glott you control, assign Ghurk to the tallest person in your group, Otto to the middle and Ethrac to the smallest. You could also roll dice, wrestle or have an eating competition to work it out if you prefer.

If you want a rematch, it is fairest to let the player who came last choose first the next time around with the winner choosing last. That way everyone gets a fair turn.

How the game works:
The game is divided into a number of turns and continues until all of the enemy models have been killed by the Glottkin. To set up, place the Glottkin anywhere on the board (Ghurk’s choice). Players take it in turn (tallest first) to place enemy models. Models must be at least 2” apart.

THE GAME TURN

1. Roll to see who moves the Glottkin
2. Move the Glottkin
3. Use the Glottkin’s abilities
4. Tally the dead

WHO CONTROLS THE GLOTTKIN?

Each turn the brothers Glott vie to see who can control where Ghurk moves (even poor old Ghurk has to compete). Otto invariably wants Ghurk to stride close to the foe so he can hit them with his scythe, while Ethrac is happy to stay at arm’s length and blast them with magic. Ghurk? Well, he just wants to trample and smash.

Each player rolls a dice. Ghurk always adds +1 to his roll. The highest scorer gets to move Ghurk. Re-roll any ties.

Example: Adam (Otto), Dan (Ethrac) and Jes (Ghurk) each roll a dice to see who gets to move Ghurk. Otto scores a 3, Ethrac a 2 and Ghurk a 3 (+1 for a total of 4). Ghurk goes first!

MOVING THE GLOTTKIN

To move Ghurk, roll two dice and add the scores together – the total is how far Ghurk can move in inches. Ghurk may not move through enemy models; if he touches an enemy he immediately stops moving. It is possible for Ghurk to move into base contact with more than one model at a time, but he cannot move through them.

Example: Jes won the roll to see who controls Ghurk, he rolls two dice to see how far the Glottkin move, scoring a 5 and 2 for a 7” move. He measures 7” and moves the Glottkin into base contact with two Chaos Marauders.

USING THE GLOTTKIN’S ABILITIES

Each of the brothers Glott has two abilities that they can attempt to use every turn. Abilities are always used in the order shown in the Glottkin Abilities box.

In every instance, an ability requires you to check the Glottkin are in range (measure from the nearest edges of the Glottkin’s and target model’s bases). If the ability is in range, proceed to make a roll ‘to hit’. If you need to roll for range, choose the target before you roll. If the target is too far away, the ability has no effect this turn and proceed to the next one in order.

Example: Otto’s Scythe ability is the first to be used. The nearest enemy is 3” away, so Otto’s ability has no effect this turn.

Example: The fourth ability is Ethrac’s Doom Bell. Dan (on behalf of Ethrac) rolls 2 dice to see if the attack is in range. He scores a 7, more than enough to hit the target 3” away.

Roll to hit. To see if the ability has any effect, roll a dice and look up the ‘to hit’ score on the abilities chart. If the score equals or exceeds the score required, roll to wound. Otherwise, the ability has failed.

Example: Following on, Dan (on behalf of Ethrac) is in range of an enemy with his Doom Bell. He needs a 3+ to hit his target. Gleefully, he rolls a 5.

Roll to wound. Each ability also has a ‘to wound’ score. Roll a dice – if the score equals or exceeds the required score, the target is slain (remove it from play). Otherwise, the ability has failed.

Example: Dan’s Doom Bell hit the target, so he now needs a 3+ to wound. He scores a 4 and the unfortunate Marauder is slain.

TALLYING THE DEAD

Whenever a model is slain, keep track of who killed it. If at the end of any turn all the models have been removed from play, the Glott brother who has killed the most is the winner.

If nobody has won the game at the end of a turn, there is a chance that one or more of the Glottkin will receive a bonus for the number of casualties they have inflicted so far in the game. To see what bonuses (if any) a Glott brother receives, consult the Tallyman’s Rewards table. These bonuses are cumulative and will remain in effect for the remainder of the game.

GLOTTKIN ABILITIES

1 – Otto: Scythe

Range: 1”

To hit: 3+
To wound: 4+

2 – Ghurk: Trample

Range: 1”

To hit: 4+
To wound: 2+

3 – Ethrac: Plaguehand

Range: 1”
To hit: 3+
To wound: 2+

4 – Ethrac: Doom Bell

Range: 2D6”
To hit: 3+
To wound: 3+

5 – Ghurk: Lash Maw

Range: 2D6”
To hit: 3+
To wound: 3+

6 – Otto: Oozing Fluids

Range: D6”
To hit: 2+
To wound: 2+

TALLYMAN’S REWARDS

Otto:

2-5 Kills: Bile-Spurter
Otto’s Oozing Fluids gain an extra D6” range.
6+ Kills: The Reaper – The ‘to hit’ and ‘to wound’ of Otto’s Scythe become 2+, 3+.

Ethrac:

2-5 Kills: Pestilent Touch Range of Ethrac’s Plague Hand is increased to 3”.
6+: Peal of Damnation – Doom Bell may target two models within D6” instead of one in 2D6”.

Ghurk:

2-5 Kills: Crushing Bulk
Whenever the Glottkin move into touch with an enemy, immediately roll a dice. On a 6, Ghurk crushes it to death.
6+: Deadly Momentum – If Ghurk kills an enemy model, roll a D6. He may immediately move that far in inches.

This week two new Tyranid bioforms have been engineered by the Hive Mind to reap fresh terror among the indigenous races of the galaxy. White Dwarf is proud to present their rules and offer a little commentary, too.

It’s a powerful, poisonous predator from beyond the stars! Join us as we take a look at why the Toxicrene is so much fun.

1. REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE

The Toxicrene is the ultimate expression of the ‘family tree’ begun with the creation of the Venomthrope; it’s the most poisonous thing in the galaxy. As such, nothing living wants to be touched by those tentacles. Terminators and Wraithknights alike will get shredded by armour-pulverising talons and then reduced into gloop by virulent alien venoms. It’s time for soup!

2. THINK YOU’RE QUICK ENOUGH? TOO LATE!

The Toxicrene’s fatal touch works perfectly in tandem with its lash whips. Striking at Initiative 6 it’s going to attack before almost anything, bar a foolhardy Dark Eldar Succubus. It’s fast, it’s furious, it’s going to melt your face and crunch your bones before you can scream “aieeee!”

3. SURPRISE – I CAN SHOOT TOO!

As if the ability to shred almost anything to gloopy ribbons of bubbling flesh in seconds wasn’t enough, the Toxicrene can also blast deadly clouds of Tyranid horror from its dorsal vents – a shooting attack called the Choking Cloud. While relatively short ranged, it’s as poisonous as the Toxicrene’s touch, meaning both Space Marines and Riptides are equally fair game when it comes having their soft bits dissolved. Sure, there’s the tricky issue of armour to get around, but everyone has to fail a saving throw sometimes – and, as it Ignores Cover, there’s no point hiding behind a tree or Nork Deddog either!

4. I DON’T LIKE TANKS EITHER

Hopefully you’ll have seen by now that the Toxicrene has been created by the Hive Mind to destroy enemy infantry of all types with the greatest of ease – but it can hurt already-damaged (or open-topped) vehicles too. Once enemy armour has been reduced by a blast from a rupture cannon or suchlike, the Choking Cloud is free to wreak havoc; the idea being that a hole has been torn in the tank and the millions of Tyranid micro-predators inside the evil fog can worm their way in and start murderising the soft, vulnerable crew inside the metal-plated shell. Mmm, tasty.

5. I DON’T CARE HOW TOUGH YOU ARE

Are you the big, bad Warlord of the enemy army? Are you tougher than an Ambull and can take more damage than a Draxian Land-Whale? Doesn’t matter, because Mr. Toxicrene likes to eliminate its foes with its Hypertoxic touch. Sure, each wound has only got a one in six chance of causing Instant Death, but that means one in six enemy heroes are going to be immediately reduced to a greasy smear of ex-warrior. Think of the bragging rights!

6. MY OWN PERSONAL SMOKESCREEN

Surrounded by a billowing fog of evil spores, the Toxicrene carries its own cover around with it. Pop it behind a wall of scuttling Termagants and it gets even more protection. It’s a right pea-souper.

7. AND THAT’S NOT ALL

With acid for blood, even if Marneus Calgar himself survives a lashing from the Toxicrene, he might get his fists dissolved when he hits back. Careful now!

TOXICRENE

Physically imposing, the Toxicrene looms over the scuttling broods it accompanies to battle. Its tentacle-limbs thrash at those who venture too close, impaling or throttling them before they can land a telling blow. Yet it is the choking clouds of spores that blast out from the Toxicrene’s dorsal chimneys that give the beast its fell reputation. Each foul-smelling cloud is composed of millions of tiny Tyranid spore organisms that wind towards their prey like evil sulphur-spirits. These clouds are possessed of a predatory sentience, and deliberately force themselves into the respiratory systems of the Toxicrene’s victims. There they nestle and embed, feeding on the moisture of their host and growing at an astonishing rate. Organs rupture and split, airways close and lungs fill with gore, even as blood spills from every orifice.

UNIT TYPE: Monstrous Creature

UNIT COMPOSITION: 1 Toxicrene

WEAPONS & BIOMORPHS:

Acid blood

Choking cloud

Lash whips

Toxic miasma

SPECIAL RULES:

Fearless

Instinctive Behaviour (Feed)

Poisoned (2+)

Shrouded

Hypertoxic: Any hit inflicted by this model that has the Poisoned special rule (including any hits caused by its choking cloud) gains the Instant Death special rule on a To Wound roll of a 6.

CHOKING CLOUD

A cloud of sentient spore organisms engulf the foe, inflicting a horrible death.

Predatory Sentience: When making armour penetration rolls against vehicles that are Open-topped or that have lost 1 or more of their Hull Points this weapon has the Armourbane special rule.

MALECEPTOR

The Maleceptor is a living vessel for the Hive Mind. Warp energy spears from its eyeless cranium to vaporise anything in its path, and those with minds strong enough to survive its keening psychic screams are laid low by its powerful talons. Even in defence the creature is a potent foe, for its sixfold mind-nodes generate a psychic barrier that consumes the bullets and energy blasts sent to slay it. These brain-arrays also fulfil another, more sinister role. The ethereal pseudopods that snake out from the Maleceptor’s glistening lobes are best described as the Shadow in the Warp made manifest. Should one of these ectoplasmic tendrils so much as brush against an enemy, the psychic immensity of the Hive Mind will invade the victim’s brain, overloading it with such catastrophic force that its head explodes.

UNIT TYPE: Monstrous Creature

UNIT COMPOSITION: 1 Maleceptor

WEAPONS & BIOMORPHS: Scything talons

SPECIAL RULES:

Psyker (Mastery Level 2)

Shadow in the Warp

Synapse Creature

Psychic Barrier: A model with this special rule has a 5+ invulnerable save.

PSYCHIC POWERS:

A Maleceptor always knows the Psychic Overload psychic power. A Maleceptor generates its remaining powers from the Powers of the Hive Mind.

Psychic Overload ...Warp Charge 2

The psyker plunges tendrils of psychic energy into the target’s brain, causing it to explode!

Psychic Overload is a focussed witchfire power with a range of 24”. The target must take a Leadership test on 3D6. Vehicles are treated as having a Leadership of 10. If the test is failed, non-vehicle models suffer D3 Wounds with no armour or cover saves allowed, and vehicle models suffer a single glancing hit with no cover saves allowed.

The Psyker can attempt to manifest this psychic power up to 3 times in each of its Psychic phases. Each attempt is resolved separately. However, an enemy unit cannot be selected as the target of Psychic Overload manifested by the same Psyker more than once each Psychic phase.

One of the White Dwarf team’s favourite things to do is try out all the newest releases in battle, and this week is no different. With a web of lashing tendrils coated in virulent poison and a choking cloud of sentient spores, is the Toxicrene the deadliest creature on the block?

When a new model comes into the White Dwarf bunker our reaction is always the same. First we get excited and crowd around, admiring the design and frothing over the features, followed by delving into the stories and narrative behind the model and its place in the Warhammer universe. Finally, we end up working out what it does on the battlefield. Before long the dice start to tumble…

As soon as we saw the Toxicrene we realised it was something special. A brute of sloping, chitinous armour and flailing, spiked tendrils. So we couldn’t wait to see how it fared in action. With no further ado, we set up a small battlefield and put it into action against a selection of the bad and the bold from around the office. Time for the Toxicrene to shine.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The rules for our challenges are really pretty simple. We set up two Realm of Battle Gameboard tiles and a bit of scenery and then place our chosen models at opposite ends. The value of the models doesn’t really matter, just so long as we feel they are roughly even or will make for an interesting fight.

First turn goes to the side that wins a roll-off, and then the models fight to the death.

Sometimes we find someone tries to run away and avoid assaults (it’s hard to blame a Riptide pilot who doesn’t want to fight in close combat against a Tyranid monstrosity), but the board is only so big. So, running away isn’t forbidden; it is frowned upon and treated with plenty of ribald mockery, though.

THE FIRST CHALLENGERS: DIRE AVENGERS

A Toxicrene versus 10 Dire Avengers, including Exarch with diresword.

We decided a good first match-up would be against one of the bitterest enemies of the Tyranids, the Eldar. The Dire Avengers started out strongly against the Toxicrene, riddling it with fire from their Avenger shuriken catapults, their blade storm half-killing the Toxicrene in the first salvo. But the betentacled monster was not to be outdone and smothered the Eldar in a choking cloud that killed one Dire Avenger before the Toxicrene charged in. Although the Eldar fought bravely, the combination of poisonous tentacles and thick chitin won out in a gruelling four-round assault.

THE SECOND CHALLENGERS: DEATHWING TERMINATORS

A Toxicrene versus five Deathwing Terminators including assault cannon.

Despite giving up nearly 100 points to the Deathwing, this was an absolute slaughter. The assault cannon took a single wound from the Toxicrene before the Tyranid slashed the Terminators to bits, killing four as it charged in and finishing off the survivor in the following round. Crikey.

THE THIRD CHALLENGER: CHAOS SPACE MARINE HELBRUTE

A Toxicrene versus a Chaos Space Marine Helbrute with missile launcher.

In a complete reversal of the second round, the Toxicrene simply couldn’t get to grips with the Helbrute as the Chaos war machine steadily battered the Tyranid to death over the course of four rounds. We did wonder if there was a bit of luck at work in this match-up, so we quickly refought it, with the same results (see ‘What we Learned’ above for more on this).

THE FOURTH CHALLENGER: ELDAR WRAITHKNIGHT

A Toxicrene versus an Eldar Wraithknight with suncannon and scattershield.

Our main event was a veritable super-fight pitting the Toxicrene against something much, much larger: a Wraithknight. As you might expect, the early going was all Wraithknight as its suncannon blasted the Toxicrene in spite of the cloud of spores concealing it.

Confident of victory, the Wraithknight charged in against the Toxicrene, slamming into it with such force that chitin and carapace cracked and splintered. Before the Ghost Warrior could land another blow, however, the Toxicrene lashed out, one poisoned tendril inflicting instant death through its hypertoxins. Everyone watching was agog… the Toxicrene had emerged victorious!

WHAT WE LEARNED

So, after several challenge matches and hundreds of dice rolls we had more than put the Toxicrene through its paces… and learned a great deal at the same time. Our first roll of the morning taught us one thing for starters: when you are playing with the Toxicrene, keep some cover between it and the enemy – at the very least a herd of Termagants or Hormagaunts. The Toxicrene emits a pall of smog that makes it hard to hit, but this is so much more effective if it’s combined with another form of cover (like the witless bodies of some Gaunts).

Secondly, we learned that while the Toxicrene makes mincemeat of ‘living’ targets, or anything with a Toughness value for that matter, it’s not great at cracking open armoured targets like Dreadnoughts or, dare we say it, Imperial Knights. Probably best to save those for specialists such as Haruspexes.

THERE’S ALWAYS MORE

The shocking finish to our challenge, with the Wraithknight dying so quickly to the Toxicrene, left us wanting to see some more results. Suffice to say, a healthy part of the morning was lost as we brought everything from a Bloodthirster of Khorne to a Haruspex into action. The results of all these extra impromptu challenges served only to reinforce what we had already learned about the Toxicrene – they are very handy indeed at killing high-Toughness models. Everything from Daemon Princes to Ork Warbosses gets royally smashed up by the many flailing appendages, just as long as the Toxicrene can make it into combat.

So, if you want to take on a Toxicrene and survive, the key seems to be to run away and shoot it a lot. Anything that can bypass its impressive resilience (rending weapons such as assault cannons and shuriken catapults) is a good place to start.

Paint Splatter provides handy tips and stage-by-stage painting guides for the week’s key releases. Here we paint a Maleceptor in the colours of Hive Fleet Leviathan.

If you’ve painted Tyranids before, painting a Maleceptor should be a straightforward process. Most of the model will be exactly the same as the other models in your collection, with the major exception being the mind-nodes that pulse with eldritch energy along its heavily-armoured cranium. The Studio army painters tackled this by washing a bright, brilliant blue into the deep recesses, and then glazing it in places so that it looks like its synapses are firing alternately.

Another aspect of the paint job on this model worth noting is the way the painters have tackled the highlights on the carapace. Rather than using a traditional edge highlight, as one might expect for large, flat areas, they have instead painted it with a series of small, consecutive brush strokes that run perpendicular to the edges of the armour plates. These were done in three layers that become increasingly fine as they progress. The first was painted on with a Standard Brush, the second a Detail Brush and the third with a Fine Detail Brush.

CORPSES

In our example we’ve painted the slain Terminator on the base of the Maleceptor in the colours of the Blood Angels Chapter, but there is no reason that you shouldn’t paint yours in any colour of your choice. One good option might be to paint the casualty in the colour of any Space Marines you also have in your collection, but by far the most popular choice for this kind of thing is to paint it in the colours of your main rival. So, a Hive Fleet Behemoth or Kraken Maleceptor might be trampling on an Ultramarines Terminator.

Of course, if one of your regular gaming friends has a Space Marine army, then that’s even better. Just ask them how they paint their own models and then recreate it on the casualties that litter your bases. The Hive Guard/Tyrant Guard kit also comes with some nifty extras for this sort of thing – and if you’re lucky your opponent might even let you have some spares from his bits box. After all, you can always return the favour with some bits of Tyranid chitin from your own burgeoning army.

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 the Hive Mind takes centre stage, with accompaniment from a treasure chest and a flail.

THE POWER OF THE HIVE MIND

Every thought and action, every spark of life in the Tyranid race is interlinked into a single unfathomable consciousness, a gestalt sentience known as the Hive Mind. Most Tyranid creatures are little more than simple-minded beasts, incapable of independent thought beyond basic impulses – unless they are guided by the Hive Mind, the presence of which is magnified by certain Tyranids, known as Synapse creatures. These communicate the will of the Hive Mind through a form of synaptic telepathy, enabling the Tyranids around them to act in perfect unison.

Many Tyranid creatures are powerful psykers, although they do not harness the power of the Warp in the same way as other races. Instead, Tyranid psykers such as Zoanthropes, Maleceptors and Hive Tyrants are all able to draw upon a minute fraction of the Hive Mind’s will and manifest it in psychic attacks of incredible power. For instance, a Maleceptor is able to reach out with ethereal pseudopods of psychic energy, shimmering mind-snakes that invade the brain of the foe, causing their heads to explode from the untrammelled force of the Hive Mind.

THE SHADOW

HARBINGER OF DEATH

The relentless advance of the Tyranid hive fleets is heralded by a dread phenomenon referred to by the Adeptus Biologis and Astra Telepathica savants as the Shadow in the Warp. It is a smothering psychic signal that can be likened unto a veil of encroaching blackness extinguishing all light, or a relentless blare of static through which no coherent signal can be heard. What is most appalling about this for the Imperium and the other races that rely on Warp travel and psychic powers is that, at best, they are made exceedingly difficult and unreliable. The worst case scenario, however, is catastrophic. Any attempt to harness the power of the Warp within the vicinity of this phenomenon can cause a psyker’s mind to be overwhelmed, leaving them prey to terrible mishaps and often death.

Planets invaded by the Tyranids have a very short time to call for assistance, for once the choking blanket that is the Shadow in the Warp envelopes them no astropathic choir can pierce it. At that point, only death awaits.

One of the things that amazed us about the new Toxicrene model is how imposing it is on the battlefield. Six sinuous lash whips thrash and writhe from each side of its body, creating a web of poisonous tentacle-limbs eager to embrace any enemy models unfortunate enough to stray into its path.

When we started playing some games with the Toxicrene, we realised it is so large that we started wondering how big a target would have to be before it got too big for the Toxicrene to tackle – amazingly, the distance between the outer edges of the Toxicrene’s outer lash whips is wider than an Imperial Baneblade with sponsons!

“How big is a Toxicrene with its lash whips extended?” you ask. “This big!” says a Toxicrene with its lash whips extended. Pity the poor Space Marines…

With Warhammer: Visions issue 10 on sale this week we have been drooling over Promitheas Spyridis’s Iron Hands army. There has been heated debate in the office as to whether his army is perhaps the finest Army of the Month so far.

Promitheas is a member of a very active gaming group, and enjoys battles of both Warhammer 40,000 and the Horus Heresy. Their battles mean he regularly adds models to his massive collection. He kick-started this Iron Hands army with an epic two-month painting session and has continued to add to it ever since. Promitheas reckons his is the only Iron Hands army in his homeland of Greece – so if you’re a fellow Greek with an Iron Hands army of your own, let us know!

Notes from the worlds of Warhammer. This week: Tyranid contacts.

SOTHA

The Scythes of the Emperor were among the first Space Marine Chapters to feel the full fury of the Tyranids as their home world was completely overrun. In a series of catastrophic engagements the overwhelming might of Hive Fleet Kraken took the Scythes to the brink of annihilation. Many have speculated in the years since that Sotha was among the first planets attacked because of ancient alien technology activated during the Horus Heresy.

MACRAGGE

The campaign that became known as the Battle for Macragge is perhaps the best known conflict between the Imperium and the Tyranids. Elements of Hive Fleet Behemoth struck the Ultramarines’ home world with incredible savagery in a battle that tested the Ultramarines to their limit. The culmination of this encounter took place at Macragge’s polar fortress, where the entirety of the Ultramarines 1st Company was wiped out in the fighting.

FORGEFANE

Considered an unassailable stronghold by the Iron Warriors, Forgefane was put to the test by the rapacious elements of Hive Fleet Leviathan rising up from the galactic south. While the Iron Warriors stood firm within their fastness and obliterated swarms of Tyranids and flying creatures sent against their ramparts, in the end the ability of the Hive Mind to adapt to any circumstance won through as the Tyranids launched a subterranean assault that took Forgefane from within, Raveners and Trygons unleashing a bloody slaughter that lasted hours.

You will have seen the horrible toxin sacs that bulge out of the Toxicrene’s carapace. These are painted in the same way as the skin on Cadian Shock Troopers: a Bugman’s Glow basecoat, a Reikland Fleshshade wash followed by layers of Bugman’s Glow, Cadian Fleshtone and Kislev Flesh. The poisonous veins are painted with a layer of Warpstone Glow highlighted with Moot Green, and then glazed with Waywatcher Green.

The armouries of the Rock harbour many strange and terrible weapons used by the Dark Angels in the defence of Mankind and the prosecution of their ancient enemies. Few are as unusual as the Flail of the Unforgiven, a tri-headed ball and chain that contains its own energy field to make it even more dangerous.

Used by the Deathwing Knight Masters to wreak bloody havoc on their foes, a Flail of the Unforgiven can sunder power armour with ease and send an Ork or Tyranid Warrior sprawling with a single blow of its whirling censers.

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

THE BIG BRAND CHALLENGE

A question I have been wondering for a while is who comes up with the heraldry and names for the Space Marine Chapters. Not in real life, but in the 41st Millennium. Is it some dusty scribe somewhere or do they choose their own name and Chapter badge?
- Darren Ellis, via email

GROMBRINDAL SAYS

While there is no hard-and-fast answer to this one, I’ll do my best. Most Space Marine Chapters draw their name at the time of founding from the history of the Legions or Chapters from which they are drawn. For instance, the Sons of Orar are Ultramarines successors (their Geneseed is taken from Ultramarines stock) who honour the memory of Orar, an ancient Ultramarines hero. The decision to found a new Chapter is only made by the High Lords of Terra, and they will doubtless want a say in the naming, but ultimately it will be the Space Marine veterans brought in who make the choice.
- Grombrindal

This sturdy treasure chest comes in the Ogre Ironblaster kit and is the perfect accessory for modelling objective markers, especially for gold-hungry armies.

Have you played your own challenge games, inspired by our recent Talos Challenge or this week’s Toxicrene Challenge? If so, why not write to us and tell us how it went? Even better, why not take some pictures of your games in progress so we can see the action unfolding? Drop us a line at: team@whitedwarf.co.uk

This astonishing Space Wolves Venerable Dreadnought was painted by Eric Chan, an incredible painter from China who has a real passion for the sons of Fenris.

Not only has Eric executed a stunning paint job with non-metallic metals and eye-watering weathering techniques, but the model is also subtly converted with spare wolf tails and skulls. Even the base shows remarkable skill, with the Dreadnought perched atop ruined Imperial masonry and equipment. This model is so good, we hope to show more of Eric’s work in the future.

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

If it’s something we can use, we’ll be sure to get in touch.

With the Maleceptor unleashed this week we thought we would share this newly-painted model found lurking in the White Dwarf bunker.

Known as the Scourge of Cyranis, this Maleceptor was encountered by a Blood Angels task force sent to investigate a sudden cessation of contact from the planet. When Scout Squad Dionis reached the gubernatorial palace they discovered absolute carnage, with hundreds of slain planetary militia and Adeptus Arbites throughout its grounds as a blood-spattered Maleceptor stalked the survivors. A scrambled call for reinforcements brought in Terminator Squad Ignion, who swiftly found themselves outmatched, slain by psychic attacks and slashing talons and claws.

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