EonChao

Arguably we've just had a period of relative peace during 3rd editions narrative. Yes conflicts are continuing but aside from the Dawnbringer crusades there's not been any big shifts in power like happened with the Necroquake and seems to be coming with the Skaven's plans. And the realms are certainly big enough and the factions diverse enough that there's plenty of room for different alliances, conflicts and narratives to emerge

I honestly don't think they will. Like I suspect we won't get much in the way of actual sweeping changes to the setting in terms of reaching an endgame for one of the alliances to wipe out the others, but I think the story will continue to grow and evolve with time.

Could be like the Termagants where the launch box has one loadout and the full release adds the rest.

It depends how much you play and what mental space you can proportion to it. I play Magic more than 40k so my mind space is more dedicated to remembering how weird old keywords interact in that instead of some of the rules of 40k. If it switched around I'd learn more 40k but I just don't. That said I don't think 10th fixed that issue. Points were never a major issue for me.

One thing I just noticed about the trailer is the Stormcast's human form is dressed and armed very similar to some of the Darkoath. It's a little touch but it adds to that connection between those who remained and those who escaped to Azyr or became Stormcast.

It could be they dumped too much of the specifics at Adepticon last year and the PR that came from it wasn't as good as they expected. If so they could wait until they reveal a couple of new units before going into the new warscrolls and universal rules

It's quite possible that whilst the Stormcast know about the perils of reforging in general, actually experiencing it in yourself and in those around you is a lot more traumatic. It could also be that how much is lost in reforging is much more significant than they might have thought. Losing some memories might seem like a fair price to pay for power to fight back when your world is ending, but when all you have left of your former life is memories that price becomes much steeper

Busy day so I've not really had chance to do more than just look at the images of the models. Honestly this felt like one of the weaker previews to me but some neat stuff still. For 40k and Kill Team, I really liked the Votann models, they look very characterful and fun to paint. I also like the new Brood Brothers although I'll wait for them to get an individual release as I don't need the characters again. The Chaos characters are fine, I like the one on foot a lot more than the jump pack one, but the box sets don't really grab me (same with the Custodes one). Heresy was a tease as they said but at least was pointing clearly in the direction of the next phase of releases, the Necromunda one just fell flat though. Like I get the rumours about us going to Hive Secundus and what comes with that lore wise, but the teaser just didn't give enough. If it is the Genestealers of Secundus then at least it'll give me something fun to paint up. TOW was better than I expected it to be. It'll be a shame to see all the CoS Duardin kits move to TOW but honestly they're still a solid range. The characters look good, and that they're getting new plastics is a real boon. Definitely happy with the Made to Order section too, the 80s Dwarves will be a cool little painting project and I always wanted to get Helgar so the fact she's getting a reissue is great. Underworlds is stellar, the Cities of Sigmar warband is utterly insane, and the Flesh-Eater Courts continue to be some of the best models in AoS. Definitely going to pick that up. Warcry I was kind of mid on. I really like the Ossiarchs, and the walking tree is a cool terrain piece. But the Sylvaneth don't do enough to grab me. I like the Swarmsage's hair, although the swarms make her a little too busy, and the revenant with the briar tentacle arm is great, but the rest of the revenants and the dryads don't feel different enough to the existing models to me. I have a small Sylvaneth army so will pick them up but they don't get me excited. AoS proper, Abraxia is really solid, definitely would like to pick her up and have a go at painting her even if I never play with her. The trailer for 4th was good and looks exciting and I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays, but I'll wait until we see some models from the box set before really focusing on that. Definitely a fan of Spearhead being a format like combat patrol, as I prefer smaller quicker games. Now bring on April and the previews of the launch box models.

Maybe we'll get lucky and it'll turn out to be Bonereapers vs Bonesplitters or Beasts of Chaos

I don't think Whitefang liked any posts relating to it being a Sylvaneth warband but I'm not 100% on that.

Like 10th edition, Heresy 2.0 got two models from the starter box revealed at Adepticon 2022 in addition to the trailer, a beakie and a praetor (we had seen the entire box through leaks beforehand but still).

I'm getting my much deserved beauty sleep, then enjoying the reveals at my own pace over breakfast. Much as I enjoy the reveals I'm not an influencer in need of getting a reaction video out there or something. 😅

If it's like last year then the focus is more about announcing what the direction of the new edition will be, like they did with 10th. So it's better to be realistic than optimistic but we should hopefully get some information to help us know what's coming. That's the leak that's been going around for days that's just an amalgamation of every existing rumour (plus a few wishlist items). We're fairly certain there is no Khul and the Chaos Lord is in power armour, not terminator armour

The only issue with this is that last year we got news for 5 games (AoS, Underworlds, 40k, Kill Team and Heresy). This year they've said they're covering 6 games plus teasers for 2 more. So it could be thinner on the ground with the reveals spread out across more systems this year. And I would wager that the Warhammer Fest reveals will be done at either another event or an online preview around that time and not merged into Adepticon. It'll still be a good show, it usually is but I'm not expecting more than last year.

We all need to come together with Whitefang and agree on a fake leak we all talk about a bunch and they respond to. We'll know it's not happening but it'll be fun to see it show up on every other site.

Valrak has mentioned hearing rumours from trusted sources that the Blood Angels codex will have a new plastic Sanquinor released along side it. Went and checked the actual rumours he's been sharing and the update is apparently: plastic Sanquinor, Astorath and Lemartes updated Sanguinary Guard new upgrade sprues Death Company themed launch box with Lemartes like the Deathwing one Dark Angels got

This is exactly it, like how cool would it be if Dendrel Direbrand is the descendent of someone that Vandus was particularly close to and thought was killed by Khul. And that those survivors have told the story of the Butcher Khul and the Coward Vendell, about how in the face of the onslaught of Khul's horde, Vendell Blackfist, deserted the tribe at the moment of its greatest need causing the survivors to be left with no choice but to rely on the dark forces that ravaged their lands. I can't remember the rumour but I would be completely on board with that. Either Anglerfish related, luring opponents to focus on specific decoys, or using octopus to help camouflage themselves

I agree. I think what's interesting about the Darkoath is that, yes the realms that are being conquered by the forces of Order are ones that were previously conquered by the forces of Chaos, but there's a major issue of who is their rightful inhabitants. There may be those amongst the Dawnbringer crusades who are descendants of the inhabitants of those lands or those near them, but in the centuries of the Age of Chaos and Age of Sigmar how much actual connection do they have to that past, if there are any of them at all. Likewise the Darkoath do follow the Chaos Gods to an extent, but they're also both the descendants of those left behind and people who have lived in those lands for centuries during those ages. They are the indigenous people of those lands that have survived incredibly trying challenges and done so by making choices that may seem wrong compared to Azyrite civilisation but arguably aren't when it comes to survival. There is a very nuanced interesting concept of how this factors into concepts like colonialism, tradition, legacy and identity here that I'm certain GW won't explore properly and it really annoys me. Back when Black Library had an open submissions window for stories relating to the Dawnbringer crusades I sketched out a concept of a Sigmarite soldier encountering a Darkoath warrior and fighting, only to realise from the sigil each has incorporated into their outfits, that they're both descended from the same family, the Sigmarite from those who were away on a trade envoy when Chaos conquered the realms and were able to make their way to Azyr, and the Darkoath descended from those who stayed behind and survived. Annoyingly what left it incomplete was the sheer vagueness of information about the Dawnbringer Crusades and Azyrites themselves at the time due to the lag between 3rd ed and Cities update but it's a concept that I think is key to what makes the Mortal Realms interesting.

Yeah the Darkoath have been one of those interesting corners of AoS that they've been teasing at for years with just enough models and lore to get us hooked on them and it feels like Thursten gets what is so interesting about them. My only complaint is that I'm worried they'll replace the generic Chaos Marauders in other stories in a way that completely loses their flavour. Personally I'm hoping we get stories about Darkoath tribes straddling that line between friend and enemy with other grand alliances. Yes they're Chaos worshipers to a certain degree but you can potentially reason with them, unlike with someone sworn to one of the Gods or a Nighthaunt swarm. It'll be Sylvaneth based with a swampy watery feel that will lead to TGA over reacting and imploding over the idea that both the Satyr and Centaur Kuronethi and the IDK are both being cancelled and removed from the game.

I mean I guess we'll see what happens with it in the long run. Honestly it's kind of annoying to have the switch happen, I had 5 old ardboys from an Ironjawz Warcry box, and another 10 in the start collecting, so this was going to neatly bring me up to 20 old ones and then I could have started to add in some of the newer ones. Like much rather prefer the new models over the old, especially if we get 10, but now I need to go and source 5 old ones for my OCD

Huh, that’s a really neat way to both showing Nagash’s personality and making OBR’s different to pretty much any other faction in the game society wise. I think I might need to dig into them as a faction in 4th ed as they sound really interesting

I’m not 100% on OBR lore but I really like the idea of these constructs being powered by souls made from a mix of talented trackers and hunters, mixed with those of the most obedient slaves, to create something that is both an incredibly efficient and dangerous hunting animal but also completely obedient.

To be fair it wasn't you who failed. It was all those treacherous useless underlings and rivals, yes-yes

I think this is my main issue where the Mortal Realms need more fleshing out. At the moment we have a weird crossover between the various factions implied in the setting, except it almost never gets fleshed out. I really like bits where Stormcast convince Orruks to work with them against Chaos forces, or where in Dynasty of Monsters where Avengorii work with with on of the Cities to protect it from a Beastmen Horde. I think there needs to be a lot more interaction between the factions beyond them mostly fighting each other. Give me more about how the Seraphon and Daughters of Khaine fit into the Cities. How the Lumineth and Kharadron negotiate to build new arcane devices. How the Sylvaneth differ within how they let other factions roam their forests. Then add in an isolated city where an uneasy trading arrangement exists between the people who govern it and the Gloomspite of the nearby mountains. A Fyreslayer lodge that survived against all odds against an Ogor migration due to them finding a way to work with the Nighthaunt. Ironjawz that trade with Ossiarchs once a year, but the bones they Ossiarchs take have to be claimed in ritual combat. Even Chaos factions that work with Death, Destruction and Order ones against mutual enemies in weird strained but tolerated relationships. And I think the Silent Ones potentially fit into that dynamic fine with at least Order, Death and Destruction. Like there are cultures in the real world who have incorporated the migrations of army ants into where they build their homes so that when the swarm passes through they move out for a few days, and the swarm eats all of the pests in their homes as it moves through the village. A City of Sigmar that allows the Silent Ones almost free reign over the surrounding wilderness and their sewer systems a few times a year to help them root out any Cults, Skaven or Grots etc lurking in that area would be thematically appropriate. And that's before you get into the idea of the Silent Ones being more sapient than some of us are assuming they are.

Honestly I'd be fine with the Silent Ones just being a Warcry and Underworlds warband to represent one of the smaller weird parts of the setting. Then if they're popular and GW think it has legs and popularity then expand them into a full faction for Destruction.