The age of hope is dead....

[Arkiham]

https://malignportents.com/?utm_source=GamesWorkshop.com&utm_campaign=738f2005ad-GW+14th+December+Malign+Portents+EU1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c6e14e39d2-738f2005ad-119316213#

 

So, is this the long-awaited death push people have been waiting for?

 

personally, I'm glad death hasn't been covered yet, i felt it would have been rushed and not made sense, by doing this it is creating a timeline, and driving the narrative.

 

[Keldaur]

It seems it will be a new campaign product or the roleplaying game right ?

Atleast it seems death focused so that's a win for me, even tho i don't play death.

[wayniac]

I am curious if it's going to be a campaign series like the realmgate wars, or something like season of war, or even both.  40k and GH2017 killed AOS in my area, but I've seen a few people lately express interest in it so maybe this will help rekindle some love for the IMHO superior game.

[Sheriff]

35 minutes ago, Keldaur said:

It seems it will be a new campaign product or the roleplaying game right ?

Atleast it seems death focused so that's a win for me, even tho i don't play death.

It'll involve everyone hopefully. E.g. orcs seeing the situation as a great opportunity to smash stuff too. 

[HorticulusTGA]

23 minutes ago, wayniac said:

I am curious if it's going to be a campaign series like the realmgate wars, or something like season of war, or even both.  40k and GH2017 killed AOS in my area, but I've seen a few people lately express interest in it so maybe this will help rekindle some love for the IMHO superior game.

(I really don't understand why the GHB2017 is this bad ! Allies system + new allegiance abilities for many armies seemed awesome. Almost all of my armies got great point reductions too...)

I was sure the website coming with Malign Portents was going to be a whole new "AOS Website" like 40k has... But anyway !

That's a good point ; it looks like a mix of Season Of War / War of Konor style - website ; and narratively the size of the event should be the next "Season", i.e. an event the size of the Realmgate Wars... THE AGE OF HYPE IS NOT DEAD

[Gaz Taylor]

1 hour ago, Arkiham said:

So, is this the long-awaited death push people have been waiting for?

I would like to think so. With the errie new Age of Sigmar logo, new Death Herald and the artwork and style of the teases so far, I think we are in for a lot of Death stuff. My thoughts are Nagash isn't happy about what Sigmar has been doing with the Stormcast and he's going to be getting what he is owed. Plus we will see all the other Grand Alliances doing stuff in the background in the wake of all of this.

So I'm expecting lots of new factions for 2018 and a new core box set containing Death (Malign Portents) and another faction (would be cool if Chaos but sort of feeling it might be Stromcast). It really depends on what the Malign Portents actually are. Are they Stormcast that have been reforged too many times?

[wayniac]

25 minutes ago, HorticulusTGA said:

(I really don't understand why the GHB2017 is this bad ! Allies system + new allegiance abilities for many armies seemed awesome. Almost all of my armies got great point reductions too...)

From what I can tell locally, it's because they didn't make it into 40k.  *shrug*

I don't think there will be a lot of new factions, but I am hoping for Death love.  My Flesh-Eater Courts are rather neglected, and while I don't expect them to get anything, a revamped Deathrattle or Nighthaunt army with more variety would be really great.

[Aginor]

Hmmm I have the feeling I don't quite get something because I am rather new to this.

Is that name "Malign Portents" something that rings a bell for y'all older wargamers? Something from the old world?

Otherwise I just see the Age of Sigmar logo and that one model we have seen already, which looks cool and IIRC somebody wrote that there will be models from all grand alliances?

I don't think it is a roleplaying game. Those are marketed under the "Warhammer Quest" label, right?

I can't imagine it has to do with Shadespire or something because it isn't "Warhammer Underworlds" as far as I can tell.

My best (completely uneducated) guess is that it might be something like the "Blight War" box which was a strange crossover between a Battletome light for Nurgle and an AoS starter box.

So what I expect is... a box containing some Death models (including that new one we have seen) and some Stormcast, including a new SCE model.
Maybe also some new rules/abilities like with Blight War.

 

EDIT: Since the King of Shrouds (I think that was his name) is Nighthaunt maybe it won't be as much of a "Death" rlease but only a part of Death (Nighthaunt)?
I admit I had hoped they would, dunno... make Death a bit less cluttered, with Skellies (Deathrattle) and Ghosts (Nighthaunt) and maybe Zombies (Deathwalkers) becoming more generic and combinable with others so we don't have as many splinter factions in Death.

[AverageBoss]

30 minutes ago, Aginor said:

Hmmm I have the feeling I don't quite get something because I am rather new to this.

Is that name "Malign Portents" something that rings a bell for y'all older wargamers? Something from the old world?

Otherwise I just see the Age of Sigmar logo and that one model we have seen already, which looks cool and IIRC somebody wrote that there will be models from all grand alliances?

I don't think it is a roleplaying game. Those are marketed under the "Warhammer Quest" label, right?

I can't imagine it has to do with Shadespire or something because it isn't "Warhammer Underworlds" as far as I can tell.

My best (completely uneducated) guess is that it might be something like the "Blight War" box which was a strange crossover between a Battletome light for Nurgle and an AoS starter box.

So what I expect is... a box containing some Death models (including that new one we have seen) and some Stormcast, including a new SCE model.
Maybe also some new rules/abilities like with Blight War.

 

EDIT: Since the King of Shrouds (I think that was his name) is Nighthaunt maybe it won't be as much of a "Death" rlease but only a part of Death (Nighthaunt)?
I admit I had hoped they would, dunno... make Death a bit less cluttered, with Skellies (Deathrattle) and Ghosts (Nighthaunt) and maybe Zombies (Deathwalkers) becoming more generic and combinable with others so we don't have as many splinter factions in Death.

They announced a couple months ago this would be an event of sorts and each GA would get a herald. We have seen the Death and Chaos heralds.

[Sheriff]

Is the female one supposed to be intimidating? Looks like Kiera Knightly with a cyclists thigh. 

[Vasshpit]

I have a theory that the order "Herald" will be a revamped Relictor.

The one from box set never received its own release and the theme matches said events. 

Plus the model is pretty goofy in my opinion and needs a reboot I think. 

[Aginor]

I am also 99% sure the herald of Order will be a Stormcast.

 

Oh btw those texts and pictures (with full moon and looming danger) remind me of...

 

[Mikester1487]

I'd sail into the realm of death and sock Nagash in the mouth for another relictor.  I know it's stormcast but they're my favorite stormcast models.

[Galas]

If this bring us a model for Lord Krell, Mortharch of Despair... oh boy... I have 7 copies of his ultra cool 8th edition model. I'll buy probably half that number in a Mortharch version of him.

[chord]

2 hours ago, HorticulusTGA said:

(I really don't understand why the GHB2017 is this bad ! Allies system + new allegiance abilities for many armies seemed awesome. Almost all of my armies got great point reductions too...)

I was sure the website coming with Malign Portents was going to be a whole new "AOS Website" like 40k has... But anyway !

That's a good point ; it looks like a mix of Season Of War / War of Konor style - website ; and narratively the size of the event should be the next "Season", i.e. an event the size of the Realmgate Wars... THE AGE OF HYPE IS NOT DEAD

For my area more factions, etc ....its not good.  Bogged down the game encourages/forces people into mono armies,  etc.  Less rules to look up the better. No need to reference multiple things.

 

[chord]

I hope its like the realmgate wars with good campaign books!

[Goodapollo4]

I'm really excited to see how these new heralds interact with our games. I seem to recall something about being able to field them for 0 points in matched play if you and your opponent both bring them to play. 

Come on herald of Gorkamorka!

[HorticulusTGA]

1 hour ago, Goodapollo4 said:

I'm really excited to see how these new heralds interact with our games. I seem to recall something about being able to field them for 0 points in matched play if you and your opponent both bring them to play. 

Come on herald of Gorkamorka!

Yes, like GW did aeons ago (sorry old folks) with their Dark Shadow summer campaign, IIRC ? With the Dark Emissaries and Truthsayers, great models they were !

[TheOtherJosh]

So, personally I’m hoping that this “Malignant Portents” stuff is happening in the current timeline, after the timeframe of the Spear of Shadows. (Which is apparently ~300 years after the Realmgate Wars...)

[Kramer]

2 hours ago, HorticulusTGA said:

Yes, like GW did aeons ago (sorry old folks) with their Dark Shadow summer campaign, IIRC ? With the Dark Emissaries and Truthsayers, great models they were !

Just this year I painted the one eyed giant and dark emissary from that campaign! I think that would be an amazing set up!

remember the lustria campaign? You had to love  that as well. Not to mention grimgir and archaon’s Assistant saw light in the same manner. I think storm of Chaos ? 

[HorticulusTGA]

1 hour ago, TheOtherJosh said:

So, personally I’m hoping that this “Malignant Portents” stuff is happening in the current timeline, after the timeframe of the Spear of Shadows. (Which is apparently ~300 years after the Realmgate Wars...)

Oh ! I thought it was 100-ish years ?

- The Age of Myth lasted longer than 12 millennia (because the "Obsidian monarchy" has lasted this long (Godbeasts, page 13)).

- The worst part of the Age of Chaos, when the gates of Azyr are closed (and the Stormcast Eternals are created), lasts "almost 500 years" (All-gate, page 4 - Quest for Ghal Maraz, p. 61) before the re-opening of the Gates, i.e. the current timeline.

- The closure of the gates happened "midway through the Age of Chaos" (AOS Rulebook, p. 52, the Heavens Close), so Archaon arrives in the Mortal Realms around 1000 years before the Age of Sigmar to unite the diverse Chaos forces (cf. the Everchosen Battletome timeline, and the "Death Of Nagash" story in the GHB 2016), leading to the fall of the Allpoints, the Battle of Burning Skies, and Sigmar's retreat to Azyr and the closing of its gates.

NB : of course there was Chaos invasions in the Realm during the Age of Myth, mostly Deamons legions (probably corrupting the first Realms-native mortals, AOS Rulebook, p. 64).

Then we have the Age Of Sigmar ; I remember reading somewhere the Realmgate Wars lasted "decades", like 50 years, then the first cities are founded (in Season of War, part 1, the Seeds Of Hope), for another 50 years or so those cities grow (Season of War, part 2, Firestorm)... We should be 100-150 years ahead, not 300 ?

 

[KillagoreFaceslasha]

30 minutes ago, HorticulusTGA said:

Oh ! I thought it was 100-ish years ?

- The Age of Myth last longer than 12 millennia (because the "Obsidian monarchy" has lasted this long (Godbeasts, page 13)).

- The worst part of the Age of Chaos, when the gates of Azyr are closed (and the Stormcast Eternals are created), lasts "almost 500 years" (All-gate, page 4) before the re-opening of the Gates, i.e. the current timeline.

- The closure of the gates happened "midway through the Age of Chaos" (AOS Rulebook, p. 52, the Heavens Close), so Archaon arrives in the Mortal Realms around 1000 years before the Age of Sigmar to unite the diverse Chaos forces (cf. the Everchosen Battletome timeline, and the "Death Of Nagash" story in the GHB 2016), leading to the fall of the Allpoints, the Battle of Burning Skies, and Sigmar's retreat to Azyr and the closing of its gates.

NB : of course there was Chaos invasions in the Realm during the Age of Myth, mostly Deamons legions (probably corrupting the first Realms-native mortals, AOS Rulebook, p. 64).

Then we have the Age Of Sigmar ; I remember reading somewhere the Realmgate Wars lasted "decades", like 50 years, then the first cities are founded (in Season of War, part 1, the Seeds Of Hope), for another 50 years or so those cities grow (Season of War, part 2, Firestorm)... We should be 100-150 years ahead, not 300 ?

 

It's been around 100-ish years indeed, Warpgnaw outright states it and Callis is a second generation of Reclaimed, and he's happening about the current timeline.

[HorticulusTGA]

3 minutes ago, KillagoreFaceslasha said:

It's been around 100-ish years indeed, Warpgnaw outright states it and Callis is a second generation of Reclaimed, and he's happening about the current timeline.

Yes ! (BTW I love this "Reclaimed" concept, the cities of Ordre are multicultural/racial, united and all, but there is still contempt from Men and Aleves form Azyr towards the other survivors of the Age of Chaos). 

Callis is from City Of Secrets, tho - is Warpgnaw form Spear of Shadow ?

Then, with the Blightwar, the tzeentchian plots, and the Blazing Crusade (from Firestorm) narratives, I hope indeed that Malign portent takes those stories and add to them with Nagash's return !

[bonzai]

A minor complaint I've had with the lore is that it has pretty much all been Order and Chaos.  I understand why that is, but Death and Destruction are supposed to be major players in the fate of the realms. They have not been portrayed this way. Nagash has had his teeth kicked in and has been hiding in his realm. His only outside presence has been the flesh eater courts that have fled his realms and aren' under his control. Destruction  has a little more representation, but it has been random and too mindless. It needs more direction and purpose. Gork and Mork should have something they are after other than fighting anything and everything. It's been real hard to consider them anything more than a threat on their own plane, not a realms level threat.

Hopefully this campaign will let death show that it is a force to be reckoed with, and the other hits don't always steal Nagash's lunch money.

Oh, and I really want there to be 2 heralds of destruction. The Herald of Mork needs to be a grot with a very tall and impressive hat.

[TheOtherJosh]

34 minutes ago, KillagoreFaceslasha said:

It's been around 100-ish years indeed, Warpgnaw outright states it and Callis is a second generation of Reclaimed, and he's happening about the current timeline.

My memory was indeed incorrect:

“It had been almost a century since the Gates of Azyr had been flung open and Sigmar’s storm had raged forth to reclaim the mortal realms” Excerpt From Eight Lamentations: Spear of Shadows (Chapter 2)