Warhammer: The Old World is the return of Warhammer Fantasy Battle

08.01.2024 - 15:41 / polygon.com

I remember when The Old World, long one of Games Workshop’s most interesting creations, died in 2015. Inspired by the dashing tin soldiers used to recreate battles from the era of Napoleon, the sword-and-sorcery setting was home to the British company’s flagship Warhammer Fantasy Battle game for decades. But that game and nearly a dozen other tabletop products — beloved spinoff titles like Warhammer Quest, Man O’ War, and even cult classic Mordheim — simply ceased to be relevant after an in-fiction apocalypse called the End Times brought about the Age of Sigmar. Now, nearly a decade later, the classic setting is back with a new game called Warhammer: The Old World, arriving in stores later this month.

Unfortunately, after spending a few weeks withThe Old World, I’m a little worried. The gameplay itself feels eerily familiar — even, dare I say it, comfortable. But although it hasn’t been released yet, I’m already reeling from what appears to be a bloated line of miniatures, books, and other accessories hitting retail later this month. Everything, it seems, is launching all at once — just without a traditional boxed starter set to rally behind. It’s all shaping up to be a complex and expensive offering, one that will likely appeal to deep-pocketed fans already invested in the hobby.

Is it a great place for newbies to start? Not so much. Moreover, this isn’t a rip-and-replace of Games Workshop’s current fantasy offering. Instead, it’s more of a supplementary game that is broadly similar in spirit to, but not the same as, Age of Sigmar. A fantasy version of the Warhammer 40,000 spinoff Warhammer: The Horus Heresy, if you will, right down to the part where it’s actually a prequel. But is there even room in the landscape for another large-scale mass battle game? Given the hunger for new Games Workshop products in the marketplace, it might not even matter. Early indications seem to show that the game will sell briskly at retail — just like the 10th edition of 40K.

All setup on the table, The Old World still looks brilliant. At launch, two starter boxed sets will be offered, each containing a large and functional 1,200 point army. The Bretonnians are classic medieval knights and infantry emblazoned with heraldry and touching on English and French mythology. The Tomb Kings of Khemri are a large mass of skeletal warriors with an Egyptian vibe. Their undead cohort fights alongside swarms of scarabs and wields ancient magic.

The Bretonnian starting force features 76 miniatures spread across six units, including a large pegasus that’s an entirely new sculpt. The Tomb Kings army is larger, as their units tend to be cheaper in points value. Their army box includes 93 figures and is crowned by a massive Necrolith