The glory of Warhammer+ is about to be unleashed upon the world. From Wednesday the 25th of August, you can subscribe to this incredible service and enjoy a whole swathe of exclusive shows, animations, apps, and more.
One of the shows in question is Battle Report, which features thrilling showcase games of every description from the worlds of Warhammer.
Whether you like matched play in the Mortal Realms, going on Crusade in the grim darkness of the far future, or intense skirmish battles, the Battle Report series will showcase plenty of games for you to immerse yourself in.
Let’s be honest, nothing provides immersion quite like a battlefield that’s purpose-built to replicate the environment in the lore as closely as possible.
In Battle Report, our players will wage war across a multitude of gameboards. Some have been provided by the incredibly talented Warhammer Studio teams, including several of those phenomenal backdrops you see in so many Warhammer publications.
As Warhammer+ is launching in a mere three days, we thought we would sneak into the studio to give you a behind-the-scenes look at one of the new, custom boards being made especially for the show.
One of the first Battle Reports sees the Ultramarines face off against the Death Guard at the climactic Battle of Iax. The team created a specially designed scenario in which two Primarchs face off for the fate of the Imperium itself.*
We spoke to resident archimancer James Littler to learn about how the team went about designing this elaborate board.
James: Our gaming presenter, Patrick, who you’ll get to know very well in the coming months, chose this particular battle. He spent a lot of time preparing everything – researching the setting, writing the army lists, and coming up with a suitable mission to play.
He then drew a sketch of how he saw the armies interacting with the scenery to recreate the clash as closely as possible. This gave the team a strong start from which we could use our modelling experience and knowledge of the Warhammer 40,000 terrain range to bring the battlefield to life.
The board took about 12 days to build and paint. The biggest challenge with a project like this is pacing – put too much detail into one area, and suddenly you have no time to do the rest.
Knowing the overall quality of finish you’re looking for beforehand is key to achieving the best result. Don't get me wrong – I would’ve loved to have spent months on the board to create an absolute masterpiece, but then we wouldn't have had time to make more for the other cool games that feature in Battle Report!
I’m really proud of the work we’ve put in on the various board and scenery projects so far. Every member of the team has worked passionately to deliver the best Battle Reports we can. Creating and showcasing awesome clashes from the stories we all know and love is a real privilege.
If you want to have a go at building a gameboard yourself, start by asking questions about the location you’re trying to recreate. Do people live there? What do they do? What has war done to that place?
Scenery tells a story without using a single word. If you can bring those pieces into the narrative, you’re on to a winner.
Thanks, James. If you’re as excited for the launch of Warhammer+ and the Battle Report series as we are, make sure you sign up for our dedicated newsletter to stay posted. And get ready to immerse yourself in the exclusive hobby goodness that Warhammer+ has to offer on Wednesday the 25th of August.
* Read the novel Dark Imperium: Godblight to discover how this monumental clash went down off the tabletop.