After all of this month’s Orky excitement in White Dwarf 505, you might think it’s time to give the 41st Millennium a bit of a rest – but no! Orks love to fight so much it’s spilling over into November, and fighting with as many of your mates as possible is so fun we’re getting a bunch of new rules for hectic multiplayer throwdowns in Issue 506.
The main attraction is the new Cauldron of War rules and missions, morphing the competitive 2v2 rules you know and love into a variety of free-for-all and team-based games for up to six players. Whether you and three mates want to smash your armies together and see who comes out rosy, or form a glorious xenos coalition to face off against the Imperium* in a furious 2v2 or 3v3 clash, there’s something for you.
Six missions, each of which works for both team and free-for-all games, provide plenty of variety. There’s even a special deployment map for three-player games, so everyone starts a fair distance apart and no poor souls are getting ganged up on from Turn 1.
There’s also some new lore about the Freebooterz – Orks plying their vicious trade in the Chalnath Expanse, as mercenary crews pick through the blooming war between the Imperium and T’au Empire and find all sorts of shiny gubbinz. On top of that, there’s a scattered report or two about enterprising Orks selling their services to Imperial governors, like one particularly sneaky Big Mek and his fancy new Kustom Mega-Snooper.
The Mortal Realms ring with the sound of battle as two new Armies of Renown enter the fray. The first is a legendary coalition of duardin that combines the Dispossessed, the Kharadron Overlords, and the Fyreslayers into a single almighty throng led by none other than the White Dwarf himself – Grombrindal.
This army is all about keeping units from each of the three duardin factions together, becoming Unified and gaining access to an assortment of powerful battle traits. Heroes can pick up a new heroic trait and artefact of power, while priests can tap into the essence of the White Dwarf with two new prayers.
The Ossiarch Bonereapers kick off a new Flashpoint series, hammering on the gates of Lethis and wielding the bone-shaping powers of the Petrifex Elite Army of Renown.
Their skill at manipulating ultra-hard bone allows them to create even tougher phalanxes than usual, commanded by a mysterious shape-changing figure known as the Grand Necromystic – an iron-willed ruler who inhabits the bodies of his constructs on the battlefield. Nobody has ever seen his true form and he often swaps between his creations, making him a great conversion project for the avid Ossiarch general.
There’s loads more to see from the upcoming issue, including designer commentary on the Detachments of Warhammer 40,000, an ‘Eavy Metal guide to painting teeming Skaven hordes, and the latest missions fresh from the White Dwarf Bunker. You can pre-order your copy on the 2nd of November, but if you sign up for a 12-month subscription instead, you’ll get special full-art cover issues delivered right to your door – all while saving money compared with buying them individually!
* Or anyone else, for that matter.
