HorticulusTGA

@Nos a new human faction doesn't necessarily means a new Freeguild faction. In the fluff, we have many humans armies that resisted the Age of Chaos by going full survivalist. They are now no more than barbaric tribes, and the vast majority has turned to Chaos. But they are still common, basic human, surviving amongst the horror of the ages. That's the whole point of the Darkoath archetypes. For the Order side of things, as posted above, good clues are that the common-yet-AOS-upgraded-and-redesigned human faction will be the Devoted Of Sigmar. And like the Daughters of Khaine or the Bonesplittas, they will compete with the other, stronger races / creatures with their faith and magical machines (and their number, I guess, unlike the Daughters Of Khaine). Vast crusades of utterly devoted human fanatics, aided by magical machines and lots of priests (with varied powers), and coming in huge numbers, the Devoted Of Sigmar will be (if they got released 😛) a match for any other armies of the current meta, as will be the Darkoath barbarians.

I'd like to explore Azyrheim, the Sigmarabulum, and crazy cities like Hammerhal in the RPG !

I think Warhammer Silver Tower was a good indication of things to come. The Grot Scuttlings (mix of Spiders and Night Grot) lead to the Fungoid Cave-Shaman, which ended in the Gloomspite Gitz release (loosely based on the Blackfire Pass goblin army). The Darkoath Chieftain lead to the Darkoath Warqueen, which will end in a full SdT release in 2019 (the first Darkoath concepts were already in the 2015 AOS core book*). The Aelves will lead to other, dark and Ulgu- based Aelves, etc. *See this picture : So I think the Devoted Of Sigmar will be the first Order, Battletomed normal human army. They have the Excelsior Warpriest from WHQ:ST, are present the fluff since the 2015 AOS core book, and have some artworks in AOS2. (I'm wondering if the mark on the human's foreheads is God King's Brand, from the new SCE battletome, which use the word "devoted"...)

So you said earlier (or on Reddit) that, for the worldbuilind part, you'll focus on a "in-universe" point of view. What is in this regard really needed is maps (and fluff) for Azyrheim, and Hammerhal Aqsha and Ghyra, notably if the narrative follows an in-universe, Order-based point of view. I still hope there will be larger maps, based if possible on the "astral charts" designed by GW in AOS2 Core book. (I'm a total fan of AOS since its launch in 2015, and I am hugely pleased with AOS2, but ONE thing I was disappointed with is the lack of maps for Azyr, and Ghur in the Core book - despite the huge tease about "loads of maps" we had - Hysh and Ulgu I can understand (more or less) since they are not well explored yet, but for Azyr it's a great shame). Anyway I'm really excited by all the news, and frankly, thank you for reaching out @Emmetation !

Happy 2019 everyone, this year's gonna be good ! The Soul Wars follow-up that was announced on WarCom, along with the confirmation of a Slaanesh release and the 99.99% confirmed Darkoath release (MP Herald, Underworld warband, other rumors, etc.) will IMO play out like this : - Q1-Q2, after Gobbo, I think we'll get the next Soul Wars chapter ; how Order, Destruction and mostly Chaos (i.e. Archaon) react to the Necroquake. If it's a campaign supplement ala 40k Vigilus, it could also be time for GW to release Order scenery (the cities and buildings we see with great consistency in artworks since 2016 Seeds of Hope), see attachment. - Q2-Q3, we could see a big Darkoath / Slaves To Darkness / Everchosen release, to tie-in with the focus shifting once more to Chaos in the lore. - Q3-Q4, we could see Slaanesh (KoS, new Mortals, etc.) : the God won't free her/him/itself just now IMO, but its whereabouts could be the next story arc after Nagash, leading to Light / Shadow Aelf releases in 2020. In between, new updated Battletomes and Endless spells for existing armies, as announced / rumored. Pretty cool perspectives anyway

Funnily enough it's the Golden Deamon himself, not a gor.

About the "Slaves to darkness + Beastmen" chaos release, it must be said that between the old Hordes of Chaos, Beast Of Chaos and Storm Of Chaos trilogy, and that recent BB release, it's quite an established GW tradition to have them together :

Well maybe just read the posts before and after the one you quoted ? LLV and Thebiggesthat are discussing the meaning of a whatsap message, with LLV saying he believes the author of said message predicts a Grot reveal today, while Thebiggesthat disagree.... Nothing "literal", sorry. Pointing at (proved) rumor people for their misinterpretation / imprecision - when the "rumor game" itself, as @Overread said, is a business of uncertainty - is quite pointless.... At worse it makes you look entitled and only drives the rumormongers away... I'm still sure we'll get Grots as the next AOS army

Wow wait a minute. LLV never said there would 100% be a Grot reveal today : he said that, given the fact the army is coming this September / Fall, there should be news between this WHF-EU week-end and Nova Open in 2 weeks. More precisely about the seminar, he interpreted something from a WhatsApp conversation, which Thebiggesthat, another trustworthy rumormonger, interpreted in a different way : so there was never any confirmation of a MASS reveal for AOS today. Frankly, I did not expect anything on AOS from WHF after Soul Wars. Alas It's clear GW shifted focus once again on 40k with Kill Team and on Specialist Games with Adeptus Titanicus... --- I'm still glad we saw that intriguing Fire Bull endless spell (Chaos Dwarf ? Chaos Undivided ? Beastmen ? Another "generic" Endless spells set ?). I expected that with its season 2, WHU would change setting : the "Nightvaults" name is interesting. Still sounds like a Shyishian underworld ! What I'm more excited for is the Nurgle Rogue trader band, and above all the Nurgle football team : great Marauder / Warrior conversions ahead, and as Lady Atia announced for Blood Bowl : PLASTIC PESTIGORS ❤️ EDIT : apparently the day is even done yet ; the live blog is still updated and I'm wondering if we'll see anything Middle Earth related (but the new logo...)

I guess it's the rumored "Gorkamorka" boxed game we discussed earlier : Announced in March 2018 by those French sources, along with Codex ; Space Wolves.

Well then I'll believe you ! I'more excited by squigs than TK honestly And some Flesh-Hounds pets isn't bad either ! Thx again !

Thanks @LLV and @Mr. White for those new rumors ! Things are getting quite exciting once again SQUIG IT ON EDIT : @LLV Regarding the TK rumor, I think the info from Rob is not entirely correct (I guess he's you friend / one of your "contact" ; I really like him and was sad that he left GW, but that's not the point) : As @Enoby and @Turgolhave said, GW is commercial first, so the problem with TK was 1. low sales and 2. hard to copyright. And forgetting to write rules has nothing to do with (still) selling the kits (or squatting them - Warhammer Legends is the exacte opposite) ; GW could have reintroduced them later in the fluff with adapted rules. No, IMO the problem was commercial and IIRC an older, seniorer GW guy told precisely that on a Ask Me Anything session : But as you said the AOS launch was a terrible mess and it's understandable that Alan Merret "left" / was fired after that. (Now if you tell me that another source of yours recently corroborated the "Rob rumor" I'll believe you 100% ? but I'll still believe Pirinen first).

I'm glad we're having more rumor lately, thanks @LLV and the others ! IMO we may also see Legions of Nagash style books for Destruction and for Skvaven. I think Skaven Eshin and Devoted of Sigmar are in for a future releases too. They both have new artworks / many fluff appearances in both old (1st ed. "Core Book", Realmgate Wars) and new (Malign Portents, Core Book and recent Battletomes) background. - For Eshin : they have spies in Azyr, intel about Slaanesh, keeps in Ulgu, etc. ; and a new AOS model, the Silver Tower Deathrunner. And Hastings (!) recently said on War of Sigmar he knew some Skaven kits were done (in the Ad. Titanic thread IIRC). - For the Devoted Of Sigmar ; they're also in since the first "Core" Book, have a new model in Silver Tower too, they've seen action during the Realmgate Wars and are all over the most recent fluff (Malendrek origin story in Glymmsforge have him lead three "squads of mounted Warpriests" before turning undead, incredible artworks in the Core Book and Stormcast Battelteom, etc.). Also the Order of Azyr. Maybe Silver Tower was a first "test / tease" release for new armies, like the Harbingers in Malign Portents. --- My guesses for this edition : - Already rumored factions : Grot Moonclan, Chaos Darkoath (maybe mixed with some beastmen like that blood bowl team), Chaos Slaanesh, new waves for Ironjawz (maybe Sylvaneth, Idoneth, Fyreslayers and probably Stormcast) and new scenery. - Strongly fluff hinted factions : Skaven Eshin, Devoted of Sigmar - later : Light Aelves of Tyrion, Shadow Aelves of Malerion. - Less strongly fluff hinted factions : Cog people / Golem kind, Grotbag Scuttlers sky pirate, (Fimir and Dawi Zharr, but that's FW). EDIT : also, more "magitek" Seraphon. A new tome may be due, and they are popular and still strongly there with Malign Portents and the Soul Wars. EDIT BIS : and new boxed games, like a new Mordheim / Hinterland, or a Spell Hunters stand alone game, etc.

@Gaz Taylor I've only heard the Gorkamorka rumor from those French sources who were quasi 100& right about everything up to June. And the wheel rumor engine. For me it's almost guaranteed..

@Bloodmaster and @Ar-Pharazôn I thinks it's a "leak" from the BL HH books Slaves to Darkness ; one picture of Daemon Fulgrim vs (corrupted but still mortal) Lorgar, and one of Daemon Angron vs (corrupted but still mortal) Perturabo. It's still the common description of those two deamons primarchs, tho... nothing really new IMO. EDIT (for clarity) : the black and white leaked artworks represent the two primarchs in their common aspect, just like below :

Yeah probably about the rescheduling... And of course, the things shown today were great ! And the year we got so far was absolutely awesome. It's just that we usually have "real" news at those kind of events, and this time it's not the case. But I can't wait for SCE and NH Battletomes that's for sure

Is it me or the Open Day is kinda... Sad ? Well, we've seen in full the SCE and NH ranges completed (but the - probably exclusive indeed - Guardians of Souls and male Knight Incantor), the FW Khorne Dragon and the new Azyrite Ruins... And a new novel. But it was ALL already teased in some way, so... No "real" news at all ? No Shadespire ? Nothing else ?

Any news from the Open Day ???

Yeah, and maybe some Shadespire (from the July WD).... I hope a little snippet past SCE/NH, though, because we've seen 90% of both ranges so far. As usual (from a sad continental man like me ) : WHO IS GOING ???

Aventis Firestrike is amazing. I love the Tauralon's head, idk why but I love it. I will definitely do a Grand Alliance : Order army, with the Hammerhal allegiance, for him to command ! (good side view too)

Very noice (from the German AOS FB page)

1. So much great, SIMULTANEOUS releases ! (hello Death Guard and Myphitic Blight Hauler) 2. Those covers arts ❤️❤️❤️ 3. I hope we'll get an upgrade sprues for the failed-reforging SCE !! @Fomorian the article says "We almost feel sorry for Chaos" under the rage crazy Stormcast artwork, so It's safe to say there are still """good""" guys but just totally mad (just like Blood Angels as @Bloodmaster said!). 4. @Rogue Explorator and @shinros yeah there is like 50 years of Realmgate Wars and 50 years of establishing new cities, leading to the Time Of Tribulation (it's from JR's Spear of Shadows) ; yet 100 year is quite enough for the SCE to become ragged veterans...

Why not both ? There is a strange angular shape between the Varanguard Steed's maw and the Stardrake maw, in the background, with some kind of smoke chimney / vent ? Above in gold it's clearly a flying Stormkeep / Free City (with canons and light beam firing Luminarks !). Sincerely I still hope with all my heart that "Stormkeep" is the Order equivalent of "Dreadhold" and that a MASSIVE scenery range is coming for the Stormcast fortifications and the Free Cities ; IIRC Rob talked about "a modular scenery range similar to 40k's Sector Mechanicus" in 2016 on WHTV ; and this video (from 2016 too) has lots of fortifications / Orders cities artworks. (starting at 00min37sec)

I would also reaaaaly see a unit of those wizardy azyrite guys under the Evocator ... EDIT : @ShadowSwordmaster pic is from the official AOS Facebook page (in German).

The whole art has something more on the left... Nice hat !