This week, Warhammer+ is graced by a double-whammy of awesome video goodness, as the first Chapter Approved* Battle Report from the new edition of Warhammer 40,000 goes hand-in-hand with the fifth exciting episode of Blacktalon.
We’ll have more buzz from the Mortal Realms below, but first we’ve collared die-hard Ultramarines fan Nick from Warhammer TV to tell us all about his big showdown with a sinister shard of the Hive Mind – one that’s cunningly infiltrated the Battle Report studio disguised as last week’s Combat Patrol commander, Simon.
Warhammer Community: So Nick, another chance to lead the glorious Ultramarines into battle? You must be a happy chap?
Nick: You’re absolutely right! Leading the boys in blue on Warhammer+ is a dream come true, and to play against my good buddy Simon as he controls the vile Tyranids was just as good as it gets. We both had an awful lot of fun filming this one!
WarCom: This is the first Chapter Approved game on Battle Report on Warhammer+. What’s the difference between this game mode and Combat Patrol?
Nick: Combat Patrol uses pre-set armies right out of the box, while in Chapter Approved, you build your own army however you wish, like the traditional games of Warhammer 40,000 our veteran players know and love. You get all kinds of Detachment rules and Enhancements, and crucially, you use the new Chapter Approved mission deck to set up your games. You can even choose how you want to score your Secondary Missions – either Fixed or Tactical.
WarCom: Fixed or Tactical? What’s that all about?
Nick: If you pick Fixed, you decide on two Secondary Missions to play all game, but if you go Tactical, then you draw random missions as the game goes on – discarding them and drawing another as you score. They may be less predictable than the Fixed Missions, but you’re rewarded for your army’s flexibility, as they’re generally worth more Victory points. Naturally, as a tactically-minded Ultramarine, I picked Tactical Missions, while Simon’s single-minded Tyranids went for Fixed missions – so you’ll see both in action.
WarCom: That full deck of Chapter Approved cards looks pretty great, too.
Nick: Yeah! On top of those Secondary Missions, you use it to pick your Primary Mission, Deployment map, and a special Mission Rule too, so there’s loads of replayability. If you’ve played Warcry before, or used the old Tempest of War cards, you’ll recognise a similar system here – and know how good it is.
WarCom: Were both armies formed using the Warhammer 40,000: Leviathan boxed set?
Nick: That’s right – we wanted to put the new models through their paces. The Space Marines side is literally just the contents of the boxed set by itself, and to make it match in points we added another unit of Termagants and another unit of Barbgaunts to the Tyranid side. It worked out about right, and let me tell you, it made for a really close fight!
WarCom: Did the Tyranids have any problems closing the distance to the almighty Ultramarines? The Ballistus Dreadnought looks devastating!
Nick: Absolutely, my boys put out a lot of firepower – but when those Tyranids get into close range they’re utterly murderous. I still have nightmares about that Screamer-Killer to this day…
WarCom: Any hints or spoilers you can give away?
Nick: You know better than to ask by now! No way – you’ve got to catch the episode, exclusively on Warhammer+ this week. Have your bolt rifles ready!
Thanks Nick! There’s plenty to get excited for in today’s momentous clash, but don’t forget – Battle Reports like this happen almost every week on Warhammer+, and this week’s episode is only half of the excellent video content arriving today. The fifth episode of Blacktalon is also ready to go, and after last week’s shocking ending, it’s got some explaining to do.
Sorrow is one of the most fascinating episodes so far, as Neave discovers a shattering truth in the moments between death and rebirth, standing before a choice that defines her future.
Battle Report and Blacktalon are both available to watch now on Warhammer+, where you can also catch the latest episode of Loremasters, which takes a long, hard look at the Ultramarines. Presenter Alex goes into depth on their founding, their illustrious history defending the Imperium, and their enmity with the Tyranid threat.
* That’s the game mode used for matched play in the new edition.