With so many distinct armies fighting over the Old World, you might be asking which factions would be the ones to feature in Warhammer: The Old World. We’ve seen a noble Paladin of Bretonnia and a Tomb King who seems very upset to be awoken, so it’s safe to assume that these two factions will feature prominently in this new game – but speculate no more, as the guys from the Warhammer Design Studio are here with a guide to who’s who in the era before the Siege of Praag. Take it away!
Who, Where, and When?
Over the last few weeks we’ve shown you previews of new models, shown off freshly painted examples of returning favourites and revealed many more hints of what you can expect from Warhammer: The Old World. This week we wanted to take a look at which factions will feature most prominently in the game.
The game will be set firmly within the Old World itself – the lands between the coast of Bretonnia to the west and the Worlds Edge Mountains to the east – during the decades immediately before the Great War Against Chaos and the Siege of Praag.
Much of the action in the first wave of books and supplements takes place in and around the Border Princes – the barrier lands between the Empire and Orc territory. Accordingly, we will be focusing on nine core factions.
These armies will have rules published alongside the launch of the Old World, and will be the pivotal players in the events covered in narrative expansions and supplements. Fans of these armies can also all look forward to some shiny new miniatures that will accompany the return of many classic kits.
The Old World before the Great War Against Chaos
The battles of Warhammer: the Old World take place in the decades immediately before the Siege of Praag.
At the heart of the Old World lies the sprawling Empire of Man, founded long ago by Sigmar but long since divided into rival states by centuries of civil war.
West of the Empire is the chivalrous realm of Bretonnia. Throughout the Worlds Edge Mountains in the east to the Grey Mountains that lie between the Empire and Bretonnia is the realm of the Dwarfs. In the arboreal gloom of the great forest of Athel Loren reside the mysterious Wood Elves, kin to the seafaring High Elves of Ulthuan who, in their arrogance, maintain many colonies and outposts along the coasts of the Old World and appoint themselves custodians over the affairs of Man.
Yet these powerful races and nations do not live alone within the Old World, for they must deal constantly with evil creatures of Chaos and destruction. All across the Empire and Bretonnia, savage Beastmen Brayherds explode from the depths of twisted and sickened woods. From desolate wildernesses and high moors rush the endless hordes of the Orc and Goblin tribes. From the distant and arid Land of the Dead come the skeletal legions of the Tomb Kings of Khemri, and from the frozen north march the endless hordes of the Warriors of Chaos.
In Warhammer: The Old World, these core factions battle endlessly. Some seek only death and destruction, others seek to reclaim lands they once ruled, still others seek only to serve their dark masters and overthrow the order imposed upon the world by the civilised races of Men Dwarfs and Elves who, in turn, must march unceasingly to war to protect their realms from the darkness that looms.
What About the Other Factions?
Certain factions people remember from Warhammer Fantasy Battles are not part of the narrative we’re telling with The Old World, but will be provided with rules at the launch of the game.
Dark Elves
Skaven
Vampire Counts
Daemons of Chaos
Ogre Kingdoms
Lizardmen
Chaos Dwarfs
These legacy faction army lists will be made available for free as pdfs as a service to fans who have these classic armies on their shelf, so they can still bring them to battle for old times sake. We don’t plan to publish rules for Warhammer Age of Sigmar miniatures, except for those units that were part of the game and setting during the final edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battles.
What are the other armies up to, then?
During the century before the Siege of Praag, the Skaven Under-Empire was riven by civil war to the extent that they retreated from the surface world. This is the origin of the belief that Skaven aren’t real – they vanished for several generations and became folklore. The Skaven re-emerged only after the Horned Rat himself was summoned at Skavenblight to end the strife and instil new purpose into his children (this ties in with the wider rise of Chaos and the destruction wrought by Asavar Kul), turning them into a new power in the world.
The Von Carsteins were all dead (for a given value of dead) after the Vampire Wars. With their defeat, other vampires went into hiding and became less active, waiting until the world became safe for them to emerge once more.
Dark Elves, Lizardmen, Chaos Dwarfs and Ogre Kingdoms are all based far from the Old World and, during this period, are very inward looking and insular races.
Chaos Daemons have existed in the past and will again, but there is an ebb and flow to the power of Chaos – in our period Chaos is at its lowest ebb in a long time. When Asavar Kul rises to become the 12th Everchosen, the power of Chaos will build again, but we won’t see daemonic servants of individual gods for a while yet. Daemons and, especially, Daemon Princes exist, the latter given power by the belief of the mortals that worship them as demigods, but whole legions manifesting in the real world are currently incredibly rare.
Thanks very much guys – that’s a ton of useful information. Warhammer: The Old World is marching closer to release, and there’ll be another development diary coming at some time in June.