Overread

We'll have to spend a whole week to find out! GAH! But surely GW can't write out their best character!

Welcome @LoopyZebra to both the Archibald club and to the forums! Great to see someone new leaping in with a mighty gryph hound! Sound like he will certainly stand out in your group when leading the charge! Ps new thing - gryph hounds - is a group of them a flock or herd or pack?

I've now added all the novels and short stories that I can see on the Black Library website! I've done my best to put series together and make mention in short stories where they tie into major series, if anyone spots anything wrong or that could be added please please do say! Any help would be greatly appreciated and I hope to hear of the stories you've read and enjoyed in the thread

GW did it for things like the Tyrannocyte for Tyranids in 40K a while back. The reason its not happened in a while for 40K is that the last year or more has been the 8th edition push for getting all the Codex out and GW has been releasing stuff so often that basically there hasn't been room to release additional models outside of those released with a new codex at the same time. In 7th edition they released models with a dataslate - rules in the box - release several times. Yes they want to sell us Battletomes - but don't forget all the points for AoS are in the free Warscroll builder; all the Warscrolls are also on the product page for each model on the storefront. So what the Battltomes really have that is unique is things like lore; spells, artifacts, battleplans, faction abilities etc... So I see no issue with them releasing models that are not within the Battletomes (eg Endless Spells) and having the rules for those models in the box along with the model itself. Yes GW will later sell an updated Battletome with those same rules and other stuff in it; but it makes FAR more sense that they get models out without attaching them to a Battletome. The reason things have changed is that in the past GW could release a Codex or Battletome, have a big launch of a lots of models in one big go and still have models in the rules that had no physical product from GW. GW didn't mind this, however as time has gone on more 3rd parties have arisen (esp in the last 5 or so years) and they can push out a niche model faster than GW can to fill "missing" models from a release. So GW stopped putting anything in their codex/battletomes that wasn't already a model or which wasn't going to be released when the new codex/battletome launched. As a result they either release models at the same time; or they are released later with rules within their box. This latter point is important because it means GW hasn't got to reprint and order lots of battletomes/codex for just one or two added units to a faction; and it means they don't have to "save up" a factions core releases for years until they've got a big chunk to go all at once.

reserved post

Yes after doing well with Age of Sigmar I decided to start tackling the grand classic era of Warhammer! There are a LOT more books and short stories here, but unlike AoS there is far less silly messing around and the number of collected editions is at a much more sane level. Now the are a few things to note: 1) GW appears to be republishing some of these stories (in print and ebook format) in collected editions of series (and short stories). As a result some series presented here as individual listings might, at some point in the future, be released in a collected edition. Bare this in mind when purchasing; however there is no guarantee that any series will get collected together. 2) I have no idea as to time-lines with these. I have broadly kept the listings as they are shown on the Black Library website which roughly has the newest at the top and the oldest at the bottom. 3) I have split the listings into three groups for Novels; Collected editions (both collected books and short stories), multi-book series and stand alone books. Unlike the AoS page, if an individual book is part of a collected edition I only list the collected edition (which does show all books/short stories contained within on its listing). This is purely to make the listings easier to read for new people without having to keep cross referencing different lists. I've also done it on the expectation that most consulting this will be newer to the lore and setting and thus are likely making fresh purchases; where most collected editions prove to be the significantly cheaper choice. Collected Editions: Individual Series: Stand Alone books: Gotrek and Felix Collected series: Warhammer Horror - Genevieve series Darkblade Collected series: Short stories - Remember these are the ones that are NOT expressly mentioned as being included in collected editions earlier mentioned

I fully expect to see Idoneth and Daughters of Khaine get Endless Spells considering both were made with 2.0 in mind and thus one would assume Endless Spells. GW doesn't have to re-write a battletome to release new models or Endless Spells for a faction; they can release warscrolls and rules as a separate release. They have done this many times with new units for 40K and I expect they will do so also for AoS as it matures. GW won't put models or now endless spells (as they are models) into any material unless that model is coming out when that written material comes out; this helps limited 3rd parties making models for the market before GW can sell them directly themselves.

Well GW leaked it themselves with a massive photo of a huge bull spell. Also don't forget the VAST majority of GW's fanbase isn't online nor even using the Facebook pages. So even leaks are not a huge worry for them that would force them to advance the release schedule. Plus the way they have to produce and work their own schedule chances are a few leaks online is not enough to make them change it at all. Even if we know stuff is coming out well in advance its unlikely to make GW push other things out of the way to allow another thing to come in earlier.

Well I'd be hoping for 1) More detailed reveals on the new Sigmar Chaos Beasts and the Ork Speeders perhaps even another racing vehicle to round out that release. 2) Perhaps some hints or views at AT weapon choice packs - be great if someone could evne confirm how they will be done (gun alone or if they come with the shoulders) 3) More Endless Spells for Sigmar factions; esp those already released. 4) Previews of the new Shadspire teams (Daughters of Khaine please! As well as expected undead ones) I'd be surprised if they drop a second army like Grots down when they've just announced the Chaos Beastmen. I'd wager they will go out first then we might hear of other factions getting attention. If there is a new faction reveal then it might well be the long hoped for big ORK content to come (if there is any beyond their new awesome cars)

Dark Crystal is most certainly having some influence - I bet I know where Tzeentch came from as visual concept of chaos and evil. It was all born around that wonderful time of the 80s when fantasy and magic just oozed with creativity in so many areas. A testament to time that so much of what we get today is derivative or a remake!

Also don't forget that how you paint something has a huge impact on how comical or serious it can appear. Nurgle is another faction that has some comic grotesqueness to it. Paint it with very "real" colours and it can appear very sinister and twisted; whilst if you use a brighter more vibrant colour pallet it can appeal more toward that jovial edge. And yeah GW has had some comic stuff in it for years - Halfling Hotpot Thrower!

My personal thoughts on the publications and good choices: The two Realmgate Wars Volumes present the most ideal way to buy into a bulk of the published early works on the Age of Sigmar. The combined edition of the two simply being the two volumes bought together (no added discount). This would be the cheapest way to get a bulk of the novels and a few collected short stories. Call of Chaos Quick Read Collection collects together the bulk of the Call of Chaos books and is another ideal collection to buy into for the early history and lore of the Realms. As mentioned above this plus Volume 1 of the Realmgate Wars is cheaper than getting the "Mighty Battles" collection. Legends of the Age of Sigmar: Omnibus 1 presents a similar ideal buying option to get a selection of faction focused stories. I'd also note that its listing as Omnibus 1 suggests that GW will release more such publications at a latter date. These might include collections of other race specific short stories (such as those appearing now for Idoneth in the short story listing) Hammerhal & Other Stories has a bit of cross over with some other recommended collections, however it also has a few others and its own unique short story; making it a good solid choice to purchase.

What follows is a list of the publications (books/ebooks) from Black Library and their collected versions for Age of Sigmar. This intends to be an aid to those new to the stories so that you can easily find out what best purchases to make on your quest to delve deeper into the mystical magical realms. A few key notes: 1) Many of these titles and collected editions are sold on Amazon Kindle store as well as direct from Black Library. 2) To date GW has been collecting all their short stories into collected edition publications, though this can be up to a year after their publication as a short story. 3) If I have made mistakes, or new publications/collected editions have come out please post in the thread to tell me and I will do my best to edit in the changes/new publications. The Novels. Gotrek The Short Stories Collected Editions/Bundles Warhammer Horror

Original fantasy was very much in that bridge of high and low fantasy as such. It had a lot of very staple troops for most armies (bar full beasts of chaos). High elves for a long while were basically spearmen, archers and riders and then a few fancy heroes with the dragon and eagle being their most fantasy element. If you look at a lot of the old core dark elves they are, again, mostly basic troops - spears, swords etc... Sigmar has very much pushed into full epic fantasy and with a very modern twist with a lot more fantastical beasts and armies now comprised of far fewer basic troops; with even those basic troops being specialist creatures not just your standard swordsman or spearman. The game has changed a lot, yet I could still see them bring back a Bretonian style faction; heck with the way that GW sculpts riders and mounts now they could do some utterly awesome sculpts of knights on horseback with flowing cloth and barding and armour and chainmail sweeping over the battlefield.

To be fair those armies died more because of Kirby era management than anything else. At the time of Sigmar's launch I think the game plan was to steadily remove most of the fantasy content and replace it with a series of big releases every so often but no real armies or factions or anything. The fact that the rules were quite literally a joke at that stage I think showed that. I think the only things that saved sigmar at that stage were 1) They DID release some utterly awesome models! 2) Kirby stepped down and the Generals Handbook came out. Otherwise I'd wager we'd have seen more and more dropped from sale. In fact the initial fracturing of armies might have been intentional - break the armies display and then cut bits here and there until the whole army is gone to avoid the "my army is gone" backlash.

I think Morathi's alignment is clearly "woman scorned" which deserves its own category! I'd even say that Daughter's as a faction are actually closer to a Neutral/Chaotic Evil than anything else. See the DnD chart fails for Warhammer because Chaos is a very specific thing in Warhammer not a measure of temperament or attitude. We already know that Witches are mostly in the throws of a kind of bloodlust when in battle which makes them very chaotic allies - just as apt to killing allies as enemies. From their own perspective they are worshipping their god by killing so them its not evil, but to most others it would be considered very evil; they just tolerate Morathi because her forces are very good at killing chaos and from Sigmar's point of view they are ideal allies as Morathi's hatred of chaos means that they won't break from Order's primary objective. In that regard they are like the Slaan and the seraphon faction. We also have to consider how much influence Morathi has since is clearly a bit unhinged after her ordeal within Slaanesh. That touch of warp changed her mind and body and its clear that she has serious trust issues, specifically but not only with men, and thus her will is being imposed on the upper ranks very heavily. This filtering down to the lower ranks as well which I think is why they have less qualms about killing than they might have when under Khaines direct worship. It actually sets Daughters up for a very neat situation where if anything happens to Morathi she could cause huge changes in their attitude and society. It could even get as far as civil war if some were to resist her direct control and rise up against her. Indeed the way she is miss-representing Khaine himself lends to that angle potentially happening one day. We could see her cast down or even challenged by her own people; or Khaine could even manage some kind of tempering to her rage or madness Khaine is the god of murder, but not slaughter or wanton killing; Morthai has less of that self control and more

I think AoS is getting more new kits because it spent a lot more years getting very little. Under Kirby fantasy started to really suffer and its marketing and overall focus from GW got less and less. Until AoS launched fantasy had been on a very long down hill pathway. So I think that there were a lot of factions in need of new models and updates. Yes 40K had some armies left alone for a long while, but hte majority had been kept fairly well updated with new stuff.

That new one - could it be the Lictor/deathleaper combined kit or the pyrovore/biovore combined kit! I'd say possibly a lord of war for Tyranids too, but the carapace/armour looks a little on the small side unless its a leg.

MORE GRIFFHOUNDS!

I wonder if GW makes collecting battleforces and christmas deals on lines that already sell really well or on lines that don't. We are left not knowing if we have to buy like crazy now to show them there is viable market; or to leave off buying to show them that they've got to do more to encourage us

thing is Nighthaunt already have the boxed game and a getting started box. They don't really "need" another big box of discounts to encourage sales of them. Daughters have nothing (aside from the most expensive base troop...) so would fit for getting a christmas battle force set. They could even bundle in a few of the other Dark Elf stuff as allies if they wanted. The other fair thing would be to give Daughters their battleforce box instead.

I'm also still kind of holding off on more witches for the same reason! Granted at least medusa and khinerai at least fill a nice slow for now; but it would be nice to get a heads up on if GW is going to give us a more reasonable battline troop cost.

I think a few forget that the bucklers, whilst defensive, still give you a 1/6 chance to do a mortal wound on the attacker. So they can still do some respectable damage (esp in a larger group taking hits)

SQUARK! Welcome to the The Archibald Appreciation Society! A group formed in appreciation of the fearless and fearsome Archibald the Griffhound! If you are not already familiar with this most important of griffhounds then you can follow his adventures as they are chronicled in the Roll Models comic. Read of his valiant history that led him to come to the mortal realms. Of his loyal protection of his adventuring companions and his fearlessness in battle. https://www.warhammer-community.com/roll-models/ Now also accepting other famed and infamous heroic and demonic familiar (and not so familiar) critters and beasties as well! First order of business for this new society is to first agree upon a suitable painting scheme for Archibald so that each player can feature their own upon the battlefield! Even those who might not worship the mighty Sigmar can still bring along their own loyal Archbald Griffhound (and likely a small pack of his fellows). By my eye we'd need brown for the body and tail grey for the feathers on the neck and tail tip yellow for the beak black for the claws and harness gold for the chest spike pink/red for the tongue Second order of business is to share photos and details of your own Archibalds and their adventures, or perhaps you're far from the vaulted halls of Sigmar and instead you worship chaos or destructive forces; perhaps you've an imp who always has good luck or a particular skeleton that stands prouder and more mighty than the rest! Recount their tales of valour here too!