We’ve met the Rotmire Creed and Horns of Hashut, and we've seen what the followers of Lord Leech and the Father of Darkness are capable of on the battlefield. Today, we’re taking a closer look at the design of the fantastic new miniatures from the Heart of Ghur boxed set – let’s see who wins the Gnarlwood fashion show, with some insight from the miniatures designers themselves.
The Rotmire Creed
Having lived in foetid swamplands for their entire lives, the Rotmire Creed have made the most of their surroundings. Their clothing and weaponry are all organic in nature, and they carry very few items with a smooth, manufactured finish. In many places, they are covered in moss and lichen – you can take the Creed out of the swamp, but you can’t take the swamp out of the Creed.
While we may recognise Lord Leech as an aspect of Nurgle, the Rotmire Creed don’t know him by that name. But how do they differ from the Plaguefather’s other followers? Here’s what the designers had to say.
The Warhammer Studio: Throughout the entire Warcry project we have tried to describe cultures and societies that sit somewhere alongside or even outside of our main miniatures ranges. It allows us to worldbuild in interesting ways, and affords us the use of varying aesthetics and methods of warfare that perhaps our main miniatures ranges don't accommodate. It also fits with the ‘Path to Glory’ theme you get with a game like Warcry – a societal view looking from the bottom to the top, rather than our usual top-down perspective.
As with most things in Warhammer, we can tell that the Witherlord is the warband leader because they have the biggest hat. Unlike their less important followers, they wear stilts to keep their feet out of the foul swamp waters, and they’ve made friends with a lumptoad, which will be harvested for its paralysing saliva.
The Bloated Ones have been most blessed by their god, Lord Leech. While they might not realise it yet, they’re already a long way down the same path as the Putrid Blightkings.
The Mirefolk Outcasts make up the bulk of a Rotmire Creed warband. Due to the lack of metal in the swamps, they are forced to arm themselves with low-tech weaponry assembled from scavenged marshwood. Fortunately for their foes, they can’t use this to make panpipes, which would cause even more pain than the horrid plagues they bring to the depths of the Gnarlwood.
The Horns of Hashut
The followers of the Father of Darkness are the opposite of the Rotmire Creed – lots of metals, including bronze and iron, protective gear such as padded leather corselets, and a desire to destroy rather than create… though the things the Creed “create” are nasty enough. Unlike the outcast followers of Lord Leech, the Horns of Hashut openly display the markings of their bullish god.
While they may disagree on almost everything, one thing the Ruinator Alpha shares with their opposite number is the resolution that, as a warband leader, they should have the biggest hat. Known as the hashutaar, these holy helms are only worn by the Father of Darkness’ most valued warriors. Their armour, too, is covered in duardin runes of protection – they’ve even got hoof-shaped toe caps.
Many warriors of the Horns wear the hashutaar, but why do these imposing hats differ between fighters? The designers explain.
The Warhammer Studio: Hashut is a god of tyranny and fire. Showing fighters at visibly different levels demonstrates how his followers’ beliefs affect their hierarchy – in their society and their armies.
You can arm the Demolishers with a deadly flamehurler. The duardin that worship the Father of Darkness originally used these devices to light their forges, but they work just as well on people. The bag at the back is squeezed like a bagpipe to force gas past the nozzle, where it’s ignited. At least it’s not an actual set of bagpipes!*
Unlike their masters, who are clad in the best armour and the finest leather boots, the Shatterers have to make do with whatever they can scrounge. They wear chains that represent the nose ring worn by Hashut and are armed with work tools – meant for mines, fields, and forges, these are still deadly on the battlefield.
The Horns of Hashut taking on the Rotmire Creed echoes the struggle between industry and nature, but was that a deliberate parallel?
The Warhammer Studio: Not initially – we concept lots of different warbands all at once, and we try to explore lots of varying and wide-reaching themes amongst all of them. You naturally end up with some that juxtapose in interesting ways as a result.
The new boxed set features both of these warbands alongside the stunning Gnarlwood scenery, and it’s just the beginning of a dramatic new season of Warcry. Heart of Ghur will be followed up with major quarterly releases featuring brand new miniatures, and more terrain to expand your corner of the Gnarlwood.
What’s more, these miniatures will all be usable in games of Warhammer Age of Sigmar – and by the end of the season, you'll have enough scenery to fill an entire battlefield!
Don’t forget, you’ll be able to pre-order the Heart of Ghur boxed set from Saturday. In the meantime, check out the updated Warcry website, which features a Learn to Play video for the new edition of the game.
* No, we don’t like panpipes or bagpipes – here on Warhammer Community, it’s a war flute or nothing!