The Rumour Thread

[Neverchosen]

So I was thinking about  the introduction of Khanite's into warcry and how it is a tremendous opportunity to open the game up to new factions*, while still retaining its central focus on the Eightpoints and Chaos. There has been rampant speculation about the next edition centring on Gordrakk's invasion of Azyr and some guesses that the next Quest game will focus on Death. I know that there is a lot of assumptions and speculation in this post but if that was truly the case it would provide a nice entry point for players interested in all of the Grand Alliances and I think would help the hobby immensely.  New Chaos players can begin their journey in the Eightpoints, Order and Destruction can fight it out over Azyr and Death players can have a nice little dungeon crawl as they slowly add more hordes into their random encounters and build up their armies. Yes some of these games get greater support and some are much harder starting points than others to flesh out an army but it still does provide an easier access point for people interested in entering the hobby.

@Ganigumo I have not seen anything beyond speculation at this point regarding upcoming Shattered Realm books. I do see people speculate on the possibility that each book will focus on a realm or possibly a different Character/God and their association to the realms.

*I really hope that Cities get some love from Warcry sometime soon. If not a warband at least some rules. 

Edited August 24, 2020 by Neverchosen

[BaylorCorvette]

3 hours ago, Kirby said:

Looking at the new warcry catacombs, i suddenly realised how much id like a new AOS dungeon crawler.   Blackstone doesnt tick my boxes unfortunately.

Have there been any rumors of a AOS Warhammer Quest?  i know it may be a while yet, but any theories when we may see one?

You don't happen to be live in Houston, TX do you? Back at the start of COVID, I spent a few weeks writing the rules for a hybrid game between AoS and D&D. Basically AoS rules but each player controls one custom Hero that they outfit similar to D&D. I brought in a lot of D&D stats and stuff into the game as well. But we still follow the traditional Hero, Movement, Shooting, Charge, Combat phase of AoS. The main thing is, a few of my friends are super casual AoS players, so we still use a lot of the AoS rules that they're familiar with but we're playing a story driven cooperative game. My buddies and I are 45+ hours into a campaign and so far we've been loving it.

Edited August 24, 2020 by BaylorCorvette

[swarmofseals]

4 hours ago, SirSalabean said:

Hmm how good is the discount box?

It's hard to say as we don't know the prices for the standalone kit. I'd guess it's in the range of $135-$160 worth of models.

• If you are the kind of person who will pay extra for limited edition battletomes, then it's quite a good deal. For $185 MSRP you are getting a limited edition battletome ($80, although this isn't as limited as the regular LE tomes and isn't numbered), $135-160 worth of models and the extra bits and bobs (dice, rangefinder, tokens and some cards).
• If you only value the tome at $40 then you're probably anywhere from paying $10 for the extra bits and bobs to saving $15 on top of the bits and bobs for free

You almost certainly don't want multiple copies of the box, however. You (probably) don't want multiple copies of the tome and one of the three model kits is a named character, so you probably won't want more than one of him either. The rest of the kits are selling for about $100 total on the secondary market (where the box sells for about $160). So if you buy a second box you are basically paying $60 extra for a second set of bits and bobs, a second battletome, and an extra copy of the named character.

[KingBrodd]

4 hours ago, Vasshpit said:

Enough with the damn Aelves already!! 😄😜

Can a player get a Gargant!!?? 

Here's to hoping Broken Realms brings some hot nasty love to Destruction and not just a new infantry hero or two. 

 

 

You Skaven players need it too! 

 

All I want. All I need for AOS. Is for my Sons of Behemat to be released!! I like getting in on everyones excitement and I absolutely love the lore and cannot wait for Broken Realms. But I need the Gargants to have so I can feel like I have a place in the Mortal Realms.

 

[LuminethMage]

16 hours ago, Nos said:

I didnt say arch enemies. They can and do already fight each other so that's nothing new. The Aelf protagonists being realm bound dosent stop their agency. Hence why they need to establish a system of alliances same way as Sigmar. But if they are making a bigger respective play for their own ambitions simultaneously stands to reason they will deplete themselves, leaving a vacuum. And who then to constrain a growing Slaannesh? 

And there were *always* bigger threats out there for the elves in Warhammer, that was a huge part of their character, their hubris and inability to see beyond their personal internecine racial grievances against each other and how those conflicts weakened them against Chaos and eroded their ancestral power. 

None of that has gone anywhere and none of what I'm suggesting in that sense is new to either AOS or Warhammer personalities:

Teclis had and still has white saviour complex 

Morathi used and still uses the broader political legitimacy of a more orthodox cause (Malkeith's deposition from the Throne, Sigmars War against Chaos) to hide her own ambitions and create her own following

Alarielle was and is the over protective insular mother 

Malekith was kicked out of Ulthuan and went to a forbidding, unknowable realm to plot his ascension over elf kind...

See where I'm going?

I have *no idea* of course but I i did predict the whole Slaanesh arc about a year ago just reading the tea leaves as it is. 

Fundamentally it's a war game, not Game of Thrones. The political complexities never go much beyond "these guys are fighting these guys more/less than they were before" because it's all just in order of tabletop plausibility and product releases.

This is the part I was referring too:  "Aelf Gods beat the snot out of each other and are knackered which leaves the board clear for the denied Phoenix King to reveal himself and his machinations and demand the fealty of all Aelf Kind." Now, this is the internet, so you might have meant it a bit different to how I read it. No harm done.

I mostly agree with everything you mention - except for Malerion. I don't think we have ever heard him plot to be the overlord of all elfkind in AoS. And it wouldn't make much sense I think in AoS.

Yes, they are all still in many ways the same characters as before (Malerion is still a plotter), but the situation has totally changed. As you can imagine, High Elves were my main army, and as much as I hated what happened in the End Times - Malekith always had a point, and he was even proven to be right in the end. There is nothing like that in AoS. None of the other elf gods (with maybe the exception of his beloved mother : ) ) denies him his right to rule Ulgu or has any interest in disposing him. He wasn't kicked out. No one shows any deeper interest in Ulgu. He wasn't wronged by Teclis or Tyrion, they didn't try to deny him his part of the soul bargain, or anything like that. The whole revenge angle isn't there. 

Their essences (shadow/light) are still opposed, there are issues (in the Lumineth BT there is a scene where Malerion sends Shadow Demons to attack the Lumineth ambassador to Ulgu for example), and from what we can tell their goals will really clash once it's apparent that Slaanesh becomes free - but it would make more sense in a way if Malerion worked with the Idoneth to prevent Morathi attaining full godhood for example, than waiting until everyone is defeated to try to become the elf overlord. You can have a lot of strive and battles between them without having everyone getting destroyed so that Malerion can take over.

Especially as right now - in the lore none of them is in a secure positions in any way, they haven't full control in any form over their respective Realms (but here I agree, that kind of logic has never stoped them from doing something they want). A full out war between all of them is possible - I just would prefer it that won't happen. 

Let's see what happens. We might also need our own aelf thread to discuss all the aelf lore developments in the coming months. : ). 

 

[Kadeton]

10 hours ago, alghero81 said:

On the Broken Realms books, I’m super excited cause I’m a lore nerd and read/collect everything. But I set my expectations on rules for the armies in it. New battalions and maybe subfactions will not improve something that needs a new warscroll rewritten...

Bear in mind that 40K's Psychic Awakening books (which seem to be the exact same 'targeted faction boosts before the new edition' idea as the Broken Realms will be for AoS) did include new versions of existing warscrolls across a whole range of armies. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Kirby]

7 hours ago, BaylorCorvette said:

You don't happen to be live in Houston, TX do you? Back at the start of COVID, I spent a few weeks writing the rules for a hybrid game between AoS and D&D. Basically AoS rules but each player controls one custom Hero that they outfit similar to D&D. I brought in a lot of D&D stats and stuff into the game as well. But we still follow the traditional Hero, Movement, Shooting, Charge, Combat phase of AoS. The main thing is, a few of my friends are super casual AoS players, so we still use a lot of the AoS rules that they're familiar with but we're playing a story driven cooperative game. My buddies and I are 45+ hours into a campaign and so far we've been loving it.

This sounds like an awesome project.  45 hours in means you’ve built something fun.  Thats not always easy with hybrid rulesets

Im in Korea.  So, just about as far away from Texas as possible   Would you consider sharing your rules?  I’d love to have a look through.

[sandlemad]

13 hours ago, Aloth_Corfiser said:

A Dungeon Crawler with Mega Gargants crawling through? 🙃

It's a very specific image but there was a good idea for a disturbing, crawling, cartilaginous cave giant years ago on an RPG blog: https://falsemachine.blogspot.com/2013/08/cave-giants.html 

Quote

Cave giants can no longer walk. Naked, hairless and pale. Full-body scar marks cross the thumb-sized varicose veins that wind across their skin. They crawl, if they have the space, on deeply calloused forearms and knees, pausing often to listen and sniff the air. Their bones have turned to flexible cartilage like a sharks and will no longer support their weight when standing up.

They can, however squeeze their way around underground, passing through narrow gaps that would trap any other kind of giant. This giant could come into your house though the front door. It could slowly squeeze its body up your stairs, filling the stairwell with its flesh, then send one questing hand through your bedroom door. It could squeeze its head into your room and look at you. 

Always hungry, always crawling though the dark... GW wouldn't do something quite like this, it's not their style, but it's a sufficiently creepy image that it stuck with me...

[Beastmaster]

16 minutes ago, sandlemad said:

It's a very specific image but there was a good idea for a disturbing, crawling, cartilaginous cave giant years ago on an RPG blog: https://falsemachine.blogspot.com/2013/08/cave-giants.html 

 

Always hungry, always crawling though the dark... GW wouldn't do something quite like this, it's not their style, but it's a sufficiently creepy image that it stuck with me...

The Gorgers of the Ogor Mawtribes are a bit like this. 

[KingBrodd]

2 hours ago, sandlemad said:

It's a very specific image but there was a good idea for a disturbing, crawling, cartilaginous cave giant years ago on an RPG blog: https://falsemachine.blogspot.com/2013/08/cave-giants.html 

 

Always hungry, always crawling though the dark... GW wouldn't do something quite like this, it's not their style, but it's a sufficiently creepy image that it stuck with me...

This is incredibly horrifying and I am all for it!! What better way to assault a Mountain hold overrun by Ratkin than to have Gatebreakers hammering the doors as Warstompers bellow challenges and Kraken Eaters throw nets to pull down sections of wall as a Cave Gargant slowly makes it's way up from underneath.

[sandlemad]

2 hours ago, Beastmaster said:

The Gorgers of the Ogor Mawtribes are a bit like this. 

True, there's also some similarity to the WHFB pre-FEC background for ghouls, but I think this gets extra horror points for not just being big but like as big as a house and bennndddyyy....

[Scurvydog]

22 minutes ago, sandlemad said:

True, there's also some similarity to the WHFB pre-FEC background for ghouls, but I think this gets extra horror points for not just being big but like as big as a house and bennndddyyy....

Nonsense, that is not the destruction way. How about an a Burpocalypse Gargant, guzzling down enormous amounts of ale to make sonic burp attacks, just exploding the eardrums of anyone in that stupid cave.  It has a powerful but random shooting attack, depending on how much ale it can drink, but a weaker melee profile, although harder to hit due to a "really bad gas" rule giving -1 to hit in melee!

[Gothmaug]

Next rumor engine picture is up, and it’s a shot of a flintlock pistol. Guess it could be ogor related, but I hope it’s either vampire buccaneers  or grot sky-pirates! 
 

the hand has a ring on it and seems human proportioned, I vote vampire 

Edited August 25, 2020 by Gothmaug

[sandlemad]

Yeah, that's far more basic flintlock/'primitive' than some of the sci-fi pistols with old timey flair you get in 40k for AdMech or rogue traders.

Some sort of freeguilds adventurer in whatever the theoretical new WHQ is? Or a WHU cities of sigmar warband.

Or yeah, vampire pirate, though it might be worth noting that for Total Warhammer 2, the developers did go out of their way to make Luthor Harkon's pistol look a bit more vampire-y.

 

Edited August 25, 2020 by sandlemad

[Beastmaster]

1 hour ago, sandlemad said:

True, there's also some similarity to the WHFB pre-FEC background for ghouls, but I think this gets extra horror points for not just being big but like as big as a house and bennndddyyy....

How would one go about building something like this? Maybe building a gargant model, then partially melt it?

Would be difficult to control the melting process. But the result could be sufficiently horrifying. 😳

[sandlemad]

1 minute ago, Beastmaster said:

How would one go about building something like this? Maybe building a gargant model, then partially melt it?

Would be difficult to control the melting process. But the result could be sufficiently horrifying. 😳

It'd be something alright. To figure out the poses though, you'd probably need to start out with something like a Stretch Armstrong or like a rubber armature and then try to replicate that with green stuff or in plastic. Just flopping about in a nightmarish fashion. 

[KingBrodd]

56 minutes ago, sandlemad said:

Yeah, that's far more basic flintlock/'primitive' than some of the sci-fi pistols with old timey flair you get in 40k for AdMech or rogue traders.

Some sort of freeguilds adventurer in whatever the theoretical new WHQ is? Or a WHU cities of sigmar warband.

Or yeah, vampire pirate, though it might be worth noting that for Total Warhammer 2, the developers did go out of their way to make Luthor Harkon's pistol look a bit more vampire-y.

 

I'm guessing Free Cities Warcry or Underworld Warband. Excited though for their players!! 

[The Brotherhood of Necros]

What are people's guesses for the Underworlds warbands?

Assuming there are 6, we know:

• Lumineth
• Slaanesh Mortals
• Seraphon

I'd then guess:

• Soulblight [Ruling out FEC as they had Beastgrave]
• Idoneth [Yet to receive Underworlds love, barnacled crab-claw Rumour Engine]
• Free Cities?

Would love to hear other people's guesses

[madmac]

7 minutes ago, The Brotherhood of Necros said:

What are people's guesses for the Underworlds warbands?

Assuming there are 6, we know:

• Lumineth
• Slaanesh Mortals
• Seraphon

I'd then guess:

• Soulblight [Ruling out FEC as they had Beastgrave]
• Idoneth [Yet to receive Underworlds love, barnacled crab-claw Rumour Engine]
• Free Cities?

Would love to hear other people's guesses

We get 8 Warbands/season not 6., just FYI

With 3 confirmed, that leaves 5 slots.

Deepkin are very likely, as is OBR, after that it gets murky.

 

 

[novakai]

my guess for the last 5 would be

Idoneath deepkin

Bonesplitterz

Bonereapers

second Kurnothi warband

hmm Spiderfang Grots

 

[JPjr]

42 minutes ago, The Brotherhood of Necros said:

What are people's guesses for the Underworlds warbands?

Assuming there are 6, we know:

• Lumineth
• Slaanesh Mortals
• Seraphon

I'd then guess:

• Soulblight [Ruling out FEC as they had Beastgrave]
• Idoneth [Yet to receive Underworlds love, barnacled crab-claw Rumour Engine]
• Free Cities?

Would love to hear other people's guesses

well so far we've had or know for sure that we have coming up...

Order
Daughters of Khaine (1)
Fyreslayers (1)
Kharadron Overlords (1)
Lumineth Realm Lords (1)
Seraphs (1)
Stromcast (3 if inc. Dreadfane)
Sylvaneth (2 if inc. Kurnothi)

Chaos
Beasts of Chaos (1)
Blades of Khorne (2)
Disciples of Tzeentch (1)
Hedonites of Slaanesh (1)
Maggotkin of Nurgle (1)
Skaven (1)
Slaves to Darkness (1)

Death
Flesh Eater Courts (1)
Legions of Nagash (1 - kind of)
Nighthaunt (2 if inc. Dreadfane)

Destruction
Gloomspite Gitz (3 if inc. Rippa's Snarlfangs)
Ogor Mawtribes (1)
Orruk Warclans (2)

So with 5 spots left this season  I'd say that Idoneth Deepkin & Ossiarch Bonereapers are probably dead certs. Cities of Sigmar would then be the only extant faction without one, so I guess whilst not as definite a shot as the others you can chuck them in there too,  today's Rumour Engine definitely has that vibe too.

So 2 left... Malerion/Ulgu Aelves as a late season entrant has to be worth considering. In a normal season they're normally still pumping out the war bands deep into spring/early summer and we'll have been due a new army by then. So let's say them then, though that also would be a lot of Aelves in one season, so not a sure shot by any means.

Final one... hmmm Stormcast would feel on brand, especially if there's a new chamber launched though that might be a Season 5 thing post summer 21.

non Beastclaw Ogors could also be worth a shot, like wise Bonesplitter Orruks, though I thought they'd have had their go with Beastgrave.

But I'm going to go with Legions of Nagash or Soulblight depending on whether they get a relaunch/new book.

Or outside option just occurred to me, couple of non-aligned Chaos Warriors & a Chaos Sorcerer, can see that coming if not this season next.

Edited August 25, 2020 by JPjr

[sandlemad]

Yeah, I think Ossiarchs are a slam dunk what with that one herald's axe. Idoneth seems very plausible, they're too significant to be ignored and that crab claw might be a hint. Leaves three slots.

Cities of Sigmar, feels like it offers a great deal as a collector's warband. Otherwise it will be either

1. double-dipping with some of the other factions that still have subfactions to be explored:

• bonesplitters - triple-dipping but they could meaningfully play and look different
• spiderfang grots - triple again
• some sort of sylvaneth based around non-tree revenants
• Everchosen - as opposed to the current darkoath gang, maybe a knight and squires
• skaven clans, skyre feels like it offers the most but still
• basic ogres rather than a hunter and gnoblar mates
• daemons, though probably not slaanesh (core box presence) or Tzeenth (already has horrors)

or

2. something tied to a new faction like Soulblight or Malerion's Ulgurite elves or grotbag scuttlers

or

3. something out of left-field which may never see larger scale AoS representation, like (so far) kurnothi or Rippa's Snarlfangs

[Vasshpit]

37 minutes ago, The Brotherhood of Necros said:

What are people's guesses for the Underworlds warbands?

Skaven

Deepkin

Soulblight

Fimir 😉

Stormcast or reggy humans. 

My pick 5.

 

 

[Clan's Cynic]

1 hour ago, The Brotherhood of Necros said:

What are people's guesses for the Underworlds warbands?

There's been a couple of very obvious Ossiarch Rumour Engines and it's inevitable they'll get a warband eventually. I'd say they're as good as confirmed, even if those RE's do turn out to be for Warhammer Quest or War Cry.

The new Rumour Engine up there could well be for a CoS or Temple of Sigmar themed Warband. With Underworlds not shying away from more niche warband concepts (Goblin Wolf Riders, Darkoath) it's possible we could see something a bit more 'out there' like Mercenaries or Treasure Hunters rather than specifically Free Guild.

Deepkin still don't have a Warband so there's a decent chance of them appearing.

With the new Ironjawz warband it's possible we'll see more recycled factions from Shadespire like Fyreslayers and Khorne.

[HorticulusTGA]

After this big 40k-lead gap I'm GLAD we are back on track ! 

Between Lumineth Realm-Lords, Sons Of Behemat, Catacombs and Direchasm, the end of the year will be HARD for the wallet  

For WHU season 4, we have LRL, Slaanesh and Seraphon confirmed. 

So going with the Rumor Engines for the last 5 bands, we'll almost surely get : Idoneth Deepkin, Ossiarch Bonereapers, Soulblight Vampires, Slaves To Darkness and Cities Of Sigmar.  BUT that would mean a Season without Destruction... So one of those last three ideas could indeed be Grots or Bonesplitters.