GW News: LAS VEGAS OPEN 2025

[ChapterAquila92]

A look at the various non chaos warbands alongside their reasons for showing up which can be summarized as:

Destruction: They're insane and just wanne punch things, there's things to punch here so the various greenskins go and punch things.
Death: Nagash sends his thralls to do stuff. Being undeath most don't mind being near chaos and losing a corpse or two doesn't exactly hurt Nagash in any way shape or form. So it's not like he really risks anything if he wants an artifact or something. And he's arrogant enough to assume he can cleanse anything of any potential chaos corruption.
Also, flesh court "nobles" go cuz they're insane and envision they're doing some quest or some such nonsense.
Order: Somehow the leaders of SCE, fish aelves & DoK have concluded that risking your eternal soul for a minor (corrupted) artifact, a handfull of (corrupted) souls, or to punch some minor warlord in the face is worth the risk. Also, despite the absolutly asthonishing risks going here would pose none of these objectives are worth sending actual armies for some reason.

I guess the greenskins and death motivations make sense, or at least it makes sense they do not care about any of the risks, so the moment they think they stand to gain anything of course they'd go there or send some thralls.

Order on the other hand still seems completly random as why they go there given that everything of value will be corrupted and thus probably useless to them. And since these are only minor warbands, sending an assasin seems rather pointless as well, there's more important targets to assasinate in easier to reach places...

The only faction that's missing are the Skaven.

 

[Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl]

The only faction that's missing are the Skaven.

Fyreslayers and Kharadron as well - the Fyreslayers could have been hired by someone to help take down one of the Chaos gangs or could have travelled to the Varanspire on a Quest for Ur-Gold, and Kharadron have far better reason to be there than Daughters of Khaine or Idoneth, as they probably travel around the most of all the Order factions in their skyvessels. Certainly Kharadron have greater precedence than Daughters of Khaine for being in the Varanspire (if a frakload of practically naked, screaming she-Elves can get through a portal into the Varanspire either unnoticed by or defeating the Chaos forces, a Kharadron skyvessel certainly could).

 

[Canas]

Fyreslayers and Kharadron as well - the Fyreslayers could have been hired by someone to help take down one of the Chaos gangs or could have travelled to the Varanspire on a Quest for Ur-Gold, and Kharadron have far better reason to be there than Daughters of Khaine or Idoneth, as they probably travel around the most of all the Order factions in their skyvessels. Certainly Kharadron have greater precedence than Daughters of Khaine for being in the Varanspire (if a frakload of practically naked, screaming she-Elves can get through a portal into the Varanspire either unnoticed by or defeating the Chaos forces, a Kharadron skyvessel certainly could).

maybe DoK get in cuz everyone keeps confusing them for chaos cultists with all their screaming and blood sacrifice?

Hell, even seraphon make more sense to be present than the various order factions we have now. At least we can literally just teleport and unlike the others sending our own on suicidal missions for some (seemingly) minor goal actually makes sense. If the Slann divine that some warlord is going to rise up and become a daemon prince or some such nonsense they'd definitly teleport some saurus on top of him to kill him before he becomes a threat.

 

[Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl]

GW have just confirmed that in less than an hour, they will be previewing TWO new Battletomes at the AoS Open Day! Once I've found out who it is that's getting them, I'll let you all know!

 

[Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl]

Well, it's time to see who's getting love from GW next!

First, in the style of Gloomspite Gitz, the two Orc factions in the game, Ironjawz and Bonesplitterz, are to be united in Battletome: Orc Warclans:

Certainly visually this makes sense if GW aren't going to expand the two factions any further individually, and it follows the Greenskin mantra of 'Orcs together' in the same pattern as Gloomspite Gitz uniting the Goblin factions, and it declares that the Ironjawz and Bonesplitterz will be getting separate traits, artefacts and other stuff in the same manner as the Night Goblins, Forest Goblins and Trolls getting separate stuff in the Gloomspite Gitz army. Furthermore, a third set of allegiance abilities allows the two factions to unite in the BIG WAAAGH!, meaning that there's great amount of choice in there as to how Orc players can field their forces. Also the two armies rather complement each other - the Ironjawz were in need of extra infantry, which the Bonesplitterz provide, while the Bonesplitterz required more hitting power and elite troops, which the Ironjawz provide - and of course they'll be getting some much-needed updates to help rise them back into the competitive scene. I like the look of this book a lot, and I imagine lots of Orc players all around the world are celebrating too at this news.

And in a similar vein, it seems as though GW is lumping all the Empire, Dwarf, High Elf, Dark Elf and Wood Elf stuff together in Battletome: Cities of Sigmar, alongside units from the Sigmarines, Kharadron and Sylvaneth as part of the main force, not as allies:

To be honest, where the Orc Warclans soup tome was a great idea as it joined together two armies that were far too small and limited on their own, personally I think that this one was by contrast a lot lazier, as with Order GW have always dedicated more time into examining each civilisation in detail before - rather than making the effort to do a separate tome for each of Dispossessed, High Elves, Dark Elves, Wood Elves and Free Peoples, GW have jumbled the lot up in the same book and made them into a massive dirty great army. Of course for those of you who are used to this Free Cities stuff I imagine you'll be happy with this, but personally I've grown up with these factions all being separate in their own right (in Warhammer Fantasy) and it makes me a bit sad to see them all lumped together. Of course it's evident that they are all getting their own allegiance abilities, which is still good as it captures the separate army special rules, but I just wanted a book for my regular Dwarfs without having to endure Empire content in. At least it does give all these armies their own competent rules a lot quicker than separate tomes - I imagine GW did this so that they could get onto doing new armies quicker, but personally I'm less of a fan of such huge, bloated army lists. I don't know why, but I just think there can be such a thing as too much choice, another reason why I don't like 8th Edition 40K.

Never mind, I was set on doing Fyreslayers for my AoS Order faction anyway.

 

[GuaDan]

The big soup battletome can be interesting if they release new specific units with the 'Cities of Sigmar' mindset, without recycling separate bits from WHFB.
Of course, no Seraphon again, which will likely mean big release coming sooner or later (bet it's later of course)

 

[Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl]

The big soup battletome can be interesting if they release new specific units with the 'Cities of Sigmar' mindset, without recycling separate bits from WHFB.

I don't think that'll be likely for a good few years, if ever to be honest - it's clear that GW are just trying to give every faction (or in this case every group of factions) a tome as soon as possible like they did with 8th Edition 40K, so that they can focus on bringing new stuff out next year, and that any releases for existing factions won't be for a while until they've added some more new armies.

I was honestly expecting GW to make the High Elves the basis for the new Light Elves and add new updated troop sculpts, do similar with the rest of the Dark Elves and add some more new stuff to Wanderers with their own separate book, as well as giving some more stuff to Dispossessed and giving them their artillery back, rather than this lazier way of doing it.

 

[Canas]

Meh, I get mixing humans and dwarfs, they already share a decent amount both having a steampunkl sorta army going on and work together quite extensivly. But throwing in the aelves is weird. For starters the aelves look down upon the other races far too much, the duardin might be stubborn, but at least they don't start an apocalyptic war cuz they're too stuck up to tell the other races they're having some internal trouble and that that's why there's aelves going around randomly murdering their friends..

Seriously, unless aelves are massivly overhauled from how they acted in the old world (and still largely seem to act in AoS, judging by the little bits of fluff we get, especially surrounding their gods…) it won't work. The aelven generals would constantly be sacrificing the other races by sending those to the heaviest warzones, not to mention frequently cause issues cuz they didn't deign a freeguild general worthy of being told certain crucial information....

Also, the aelves themselves are like 4 or 5 different factions with very different aesthetics and playstyles, Wood aelves, high aelves, sea-fearing dark aelves, dark aelves. So that's a bit weird too…


Maybe they'l release a whole bunch of new models and fluff, then it can work. But as it stands it feels very lazy.


About the greenskins, do the regular orruks also reappear in there as well?

 

[Killer Angel]

If we consider how much badly treated were armies as dispossessed and Free peoples i welcome this new battletome.

It was truly needed.

 

[Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl]

About the greenskins, do the regular orruks also reappear in there as well?

They were sentenced to death by GW during the Gloomspite Gitz release, so it's unlikely at best.

 

[Aginor]

I _think_ I like the Orruk tome.
I would have loved to see an expansion of both the Bonesplitterz and the Ironjawz separately, but this will do.

About the others...
I am a bit sad that Wood Elves got also rolled into the soup.
I would have liked them to be kinda reunited with Sylvaneth.
Also very surprised that the High Elves are in there.
Like @Canas I would have expected some "Aelves soup" Battletome.
Humans and Dwarves together is alright IMO.

Overall I get the impression that this is a way of phasing those armies out, unless they are getting some new models.
If we were able to look inside we'd probably see a lot of the supposedly allied SCE on most pages. A bit like with those city boxes we had some time ago which basically could be described as "SCE+some of the various other dudes".
It sounds a bit like "let's get this over with, here is the rest of the order guys" to me.

EDIT:
On second glance: if I can make a Wanderers army, with Sylvaneth not only being allies but a part of the army, that might really do it for me.
...to early to complain either way, I guess.

 

[Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl]

Not only are the Orcs being brought up to speed, but it looks very much like Gutbusters are pretty much confirmed to be getting a tome in the near future, as a plastic Ogre Tyrant has been announced:

And certainly all the battletomes for updated armies in the past have had either a new or re-released plastic character come with it (Fyreslayers, Skaven, Flesh-Eater Courts and Sylvaneth). Also GW hint to something called ‘the Feast of Bones’ in this video, making it almost certain that a tome is coming:

Great to know that Ogres are still loved somewhere in the GW studio, although as the cover has not been previewed yet, it certainly seems this will be arriving after the Orc Warclans and Cities of Sigmar Battletomes have hit the shelves.

 

[little-myth]

I might have to think about picking up some Flagellants for my Werewolf Cultists, just in case they are part of the list of things to go.

 

[Acrocanth]

Seems about right I think I even called smooshing the cities of the mortal realms into a warcraft 3 style alliance book . I think the more interesting thing would be cutting the factions up along city or realm lines but maybe next version with some new kits....

 

[Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl]

Warhammer Underworlds series 3 has been revealed as Beastgrave:

I’m certainly calling a Wanderers warband with this new Season. Loving that Centaur!

 

[Canas]

more tithe of bones nonsense. Seems like the ogres will join alongside more undeath? (What is with the undeath the past year or so.. so many releases)

<iframe src='https://players.brightcove.net/5778310444001/tEqh4qwjNN_default/index.html?videoId=6061538769001' allowfullscreen frameborder=0></iframe>

edit: how the hell do I embed a video in here, the html gets completly ignored.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

I've grown up with these factions all being separate in their own right (in Warhammer Fantasy)

 

[Lord-Marcus]

Well, it's time to see who's getting love from GW next!

And in a similar vein, it seems as though GW is lumping all the Empire, Dwarf, High Elf, Dark Elf and Wood Elf stuff together in Battletome: Cities of Sigmar, alongside units from the Sigmarines, Kharadron and Sylvaneth as part of the main force, not as allies:

To be honest, where the Orc Warclans soup tome was a great idea as it joined together two armies that were far too small and limited on their own, personally I think that this one was by contrast a lot lazier, as with Order GW have always dedicated more time into examining each civilisation in detail before - rather than making the effort to do a separate tome for each of Dispossessed, High Elves, Dark Elves, Wood Elves and Free Peoples, GW have jumbled the lot up in the same book and made them into a massive dirty great army. Of course for those of you who are used to this Free Cities stuff I imagine you'll be happy with this, but personally I've grown up with these factions all being separate in their own right (in Warhammer Fantasy) and it makes me a bit sad to see them all lumped together. Of course it's evident that they are all getting their own allegiance abilities, which is still good as it captures the separate army special rules, but I just wanted a book for my regular Dwarfs without having to endure Empire content in. At least it does give all these armies their own competent rules a lot quicker than separate tomes - I imagine GW did this so that they could get onto doing new armies quicker, but personally I'm less of a fan of such huge, bloated army lists. I don't know why, but I just think there can be such a thing as too much choice, another reason why I don't like 8th Edition 40K.

Never mind, I was set on doing Fyreslayers for my AoS Order faction anyway.

So i messaged my local stores point of contact for GW orders after i saw this......he said he had already put me on his list to get a copy preordered. lol

 

[Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl]

And as the AoS Open Day of 2019 draws to a close, GW have left us with one last bit of news (here’s the video Canas):

Ok, I’m calling Settra and Tomb Kings 2.0 - Tithe Of Bones, Tomb Kings were Skeletons and mummies, all made out of bones. The video says the character was born long before Sigmar’s rise to power, Settra ruled Nehekhara long before Sigmar was even born. The character died and was reborn, Settra was blown up by Nagash, but easily could have been reborn and then taken by Nagash to be his slave, a twisted parody of the original goings-on where Settra was king and Nagash the subject that attempted to usurp him. The character’s eastern accent hints at Settra’s Egyptian aesthetics, and tithe is a payment to a higher authority, whether a king or a religious body, and Settra certainly was a king in his past life.

 

[Canas]

And as the AoS Open Day of 2019 draws to a close, GW have left us with one last bit of news (here’s the video Canas):

Ok, I’m calling Settra and Tomb Kings 2.0 - Tithe Of Bones, Tomb Kings were Skeletons and mummies, all made out of bones. The video says the character was born long before Sigmar’s rise to power, Settra ruled Nehekhara long before Sigmar was even born. The character died and was reborn, Settra was blown up by Nagash, but easily could have been reborn and then taken by Nagash to be his slave, a twisted parody of the original goings-on where Settra was king and Nagash the subject that attempted to usurp him. The character’s eastern accent hints at Settra’s Egyptian aesthetics, and tithe is a payment to a higher authority, whether a king or a religious body, and Settra certainly was a king in his past life.

Seems to fit, Im concerned with how much undead stuff they keep churning out though. You'd Think they'd run out of zombie and Skeleton variations by now..