If you haven't already seen the photos circulating of the Age of Sigmar models, Google is at your disposal.
Let's first look at the good guys! A heavily armoured group of Sigmarite warriors with a distinctly angelic look, these guys are incredible! There are ten foot soldiers with axes/hammers and broad shields that look to be the frontline bread and butter troops of this new faction! They have the appearance of "good chaos warriors", with their plate armour and staunch poses. These are backed up by three similarly armoured foot soldiers armed with two-handed hammers, presumably adding some hitting power. The other unit in the force is probably the most striking; three angelic warriors with broad wings sprouting from their backs, modelled mid-flight, lending some speed to the small army.
Then backing up these small units of holy Knights is their commander. There is no official title for this guy from what I have seen. He could be a generic hero, he could be a named character. But no matter who he is, he is a majestic fellow atop his monstrous mount (looking very similar to a Demigryph).
Then there are the followers of Chaos (specifically Khorne by the looks of it). The model count is much higher, but looks to be much less elite and much more... How do I say.... Reckless rage; suitably fitting for the scions of Khorne.
This army is jam packed with models and flavour. It includes twenty footsoldiers that look like updated Marauders, with plenty of dynamic poses and a variety of weapons. Probably the focal point of this unit is the monstrous Khornate banner leading the unit. Marauders have not aged well, and even for the most seasoned Chaos players, new moulds for these models will be very welcome.
There are five heavily armoured chaos warriors, perhaps an elite unit similar to Chosen, but either way, they seem to be intended as a bodyguard for the hulking Chaos Lord, stomping around on his 40mm base! He's not the only character, however, as a mysterious figure lurks in the corner, presumably a sorcerer due to his imposing staff.
Lastly, there is a massive monster that towers over his evil comrades and is accompanied by a handler of some kind that matches the marauders in appearance.
So.
Overall, I am thrilled with these models. There has been a mixed response, but I love them! And I have a feeling that I'm only going to love them more when I get the opportunity to assemble and paint them! We have waited a long time for this release, and we have not been disappointed with the quality! This set is huge, surpassing starter kits of previous releases in both size and diversity! It screams of "Dark vengeance" in its composition. Compare the two and you will understand my meaning. The chaos side particularly is a cookie cutter of the Crimson Slaughter force. A chaos lord, twenty meat shield models, a small band of veteran warriors and a big, bad wrecking machine. Sound familiar?
The good side is really interesting. It looks like humans are getting a serious boost in the shock troop department! These could well become the "space marines" of Fantasy, giving people a good army to love that is seriously awesome!
Things we now know to be true as well are that round bases are a done thing. There has been rumours swirling for months but it has all been put to rest with this photo. I hope there is some kind of guide on what exisiting models go on what size bases, as I will probably end up re-basing an army (not you, Skaven, with your hundreds of models) to adapt to this new format. I think models look great on round bases and there is already talk of larger scale games using movement trays (big games are being hinted at in this week's white dwarf).
The other thing we know for sure is that units in Age of Sigmar will be small. Like, "10 models is a big unit" small. And I think this is kind of cool. We are finishing an edition of hordes. Model counts are through the roof for a lot of armies and now the "horde" army in the starter box is less than thirty models. A stark comparison. Units, particularly elite ones, appear to sit in the model size of three to five. Now, looking back, this brings some of the recent model releases into a whole new perspective.
Think about it. Let's look at Blight Kings. When their models dropped, everyone was pretty stoked. And rightly so. This five-man unit was incredibly detailed and the options were endless. The rules didn't make sense though, for a lot of people. Infantry on 40mm bases? Madness!
But looking at it from today, it makes perfect sense. These five-man heavy infantry boxes are the ideal product for Age of Sigmar and I expect to see them a lot more on the table in coming months.
The models in this kit also have a slightly different style that I hope doesn't make existing ranges look obsolete. I can't see these Sigmarites looking normal alongside, say, Empire State troopers, but again, it's hard to say without holding the models in my hand.
So, where to now? Changing the game, the mechanics, the factions, pretty much everything. We are going to have to establish a new meta from scratch. What units will be good? What units will be over priced or mediocre? My plan to tackle this challenge is to pick a single army and play it for a decent amount of time to wrap my brain around not only a new way to play the game, but how the army operates in this new setting!
What do you think about the future regarding Age of Sigmar? Are you excited? Disappointed? Share you're thoughts on the Facebook page!
Thanks for reading,
Gabriel
No comments:
Post a Comment