This week on Warhammer+ The Battle Report crew fight a pitched battle of Warhammer: The Old World between the Kingdom of Bretonnia and the Tomb Kings of Khemri. Presenters Nick and Simon are veteran Warhammer players who have faced each other across the battlefields of the Old World on countless occasions over the years. We caught up with them as they talked to us about the new version of a classic Warhammer game, and some of the differences they’ve spotted…
Nick: It’s certainly been a trip down memory lane using ranked units once more in a game of Warhammer! But of course, taking off the rose-tinted glasses and reading through Warhammer: The Old World for the first time, we could see this wasn’t just the game we remembered from ten years ago – it was much better.
Simon: What we read was a combination of multiple versions of Warhammer Fantasy Battles that we remember, with a few tweaks and additions here and there, which really excited us. And that’s exactly what Warhammer: The Old World is – a homage to the best editions of Warhammer Fantasy Battle. So, here are a few of our favourite updates to the classic game that we really liked when we made our episode of Battle Report.
Phases and Sub-phases
Nick: The way the turn sequence is laid out is great - four distinct phases, each with four separate sub-phases. It’s made it super-clear when specific rules come into play. It might be a bit more to learn than usual, but once you’ve played a few games and you’ve got the sequence in your head, it makes so much sense. No more confusion about when something happens!
Unit Types
Simon: Carrying on with the improved clarity, all unit types have been clearly defined. For example, we now have four categories of cavalry – Light, Heavy, and Monstrous Cavalry, and War Beasts. Each has their own specific rules which means everything is clearer, and crucially, each unit can act exactly how it’s supposed to on the battlefield.
Magic
Nick: In ages past, all magic was cast in a separate Magic Phase. Well, now, each spell type is cast during the phase that it’s most relevant in. Enchantments and Hexes are cast in the Conjuration sub-phase of the Strategy Phase, but Conveyance spells, which transport units around, are cast in the Movement Phase. Magic Missiles and Magical Vortexes are used in the Shooting Phase, and Assailment Spells are cast in the Combat Phase. That means you’re always using magic in the right place, at the right time, and allows wizards much more tactical advantage.
Armour Piercing
Simon: The introduction of the Armour Piercing stat is great. Longbeards like us may remember that armour saves were universally affected by the Strength of an attack. For example, strength 4 would always be a -1 modifier, and strength 5 would be a -2. But now, with the addition of Armour Piercing, it’s a lot more granular. Weapons can be low strength and high AP or vice-versa, which can really reflect the weapon’s characteristics better. It also allows for new special rules like Armourbane* where a lucky or well-placed shot can pierce armour (like on the Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen’s longbows).
Fall Back In Good Order!
Nick: Anyone who has played Warhammer Fantasy Battle in the past remembers how regularly your huge unit would fail a break test from combat, run away, and be chased or ridden down. Now, that’s still a possibility, but thankfully, much rarer. In Warhammer: The Old World, a catastrophic Leadership test fail will see your unit break and flee but they are much more likely to Fall Back in Good Order, where the retreating unit turns to face a new charge from their pursuers. This is a huge change and means your glorious unit will be on the tabletop longer, which is great if you spent hours painting them!
Take the Initiative
Simon: The order your models fight in combat is determined by the Initiative values of the units fighting, which is a classic way of deciding things. However, in Warhammer: The Old World your units also receive an Initiative bonus for charging – up to 3 if you’re attacking the enemy head on, or 4 if you charge their flank or rear. This means that charging will often give you the advantage of fighting first, but against foes with the most quicksilver reflexes (Elves, we’re looking at you), even that may not be enough. In the episode of Battle Report, we found that Knights charging in on +3 Initiative was so good that many of the Tomb Kings were destroyed before they had a chance to fight.
Nick: Well, there we go – just a few of our favourite things in Warhammer: The Old World! Of course, if you want to see a full game in action, make sure you tune into Battle Report on Warhammer+ this week. You’ll get to witness Si and I reliving our pasts with this great new game and having a jolly good time doing so!
Thanks guys! But that’s not all Warhammer+ has on offer this week for fans of Warhammer: The Old World. Loremasters delves into the history of the Kingdom of Bretonnia. We asked presenter Alex for a rundown of what we can expect:
Alex: For the Glory of the Lady, we are delving into the history of Bretonnia. From the Elven presence and the subsequent War of Vengeance whereby the Dawi showed them the proverbial door, to the arrival of the tribes of the Bretonni, we cover the founding of the nation of Bretonnia all the way up to the reign of King Louen Orc-Slayer.
It was an incredible opportunity to dust off the old tomes and revisit some fantastic memories, whilst digging into the incredible new lore. Bretonnia by its very nature is a relatively stable land, compared to the tumultuous Empire, with little in the way of technological advancement. This is the benefit of strong, chivalrous kings who have supped from the grail and been blessed with long lives.
There are a lot of similarities between the Bretonnia we remember from Warhammer Fantasy Battle and the one we find ourselves in during the era of The Old World, yet it is subtly different in many ways, from heraldry to social attitudes. It is exciting to be back with so many more stories to tell, foes to vanquish, and quests to embark upon!
Well, it sounds like Warhammer+ is the place to be this week if you’re looking forward to Warhammer: The Old World. If you’re not a subscriber, sign up right now to get this and so much more. And of course let’s not forget that all of the great Warhammer: The Old World releases are available to pre-order on Saturday.
* in case you missed it, Universal Special Rules have returned.