If you have been waiting for an easy way into Warhammer: The Old World, this is the weekend to pounce. Games Workshop opens pre-orders on Saturday 4 July for a new Old World Core Set that packs two full armies into one box, sending the brutish Warriors of Chaos crashing into the disciplined ranks of Grand Cathay. It is about as gentle an on-ramp as the fantasy battle game has offered.
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Start organising for freeThe box holds 54 miniatures split across the two forces. Chaos brings 22 models, including an Aspiring Champion on a Daemonic Mount, a battle standard bearer, 16 Chaos Warriors and four Chaos Knights. Cathay fields 32, among them a pair of Gate Keepers, 20 Jade Warriors, five Jade Lancers and a Cathayan Grand Cannon with its Ogre loader and crew. The two armies are points-matched, so you can crack the box and play a balanced game straight away rather than spending weeks collecting first.
There is more than miniatures here. The Core Set includes a revised rulebook that folds in the latest errata and the new Battle March format, a lighter, scenario-driven way to play. A separate Battle March: General's Companion adds six narrative missions built around the battle of Axe Bite Pass. In the UK the Core Set runs to around £156.50, with a street date of 18 July.
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See how it worksThe part likely to make older hobbyists misty-eyed is the Made to Order window running alongside it. From 4 July until 8am on 13 July, Games Workshop is bringing back a run of classic metal miniatures: Orc Raiders, Mercenary Ogres, Baggage Train carts and, best of all, Baby Dragons. Once that week closes, they are gone again.
A two-army starter is tailor-made for a club night, so if you fancy teaching a mate the ropes, rally a group and set a date. Just remember the Made to Order clock stops on 13 July.
Sources: Warhammer Community | SpikeyBits
