Warhammer World: Legions Imperialis Dioramas (Battle for Ceres City; Doom of Magma City)

Although I don't collect Legions Imperialis, I really rather admired the dioramas set up for the game at Warhammer World. The first is the Battle for Ceres City. This is the Delta-Garmon battle and features the Blood Angles descend upon the city to take it back to Loyalist control.

Full board, above.

And a close up.

The second set of images is the Doom of Magma City. This one is a battle on Mars for one of the final Loyalist hold out cities. Rather than surrender, the city was flooded with magma to prevent the traitors from holding it. 

Wide angle above (with a bit of reflection). 

And a bit of a close up. I like the mechanicum at the wall in particular. The spider like shapes are especially creepy and apt. 

Hope you enjoyed this glance at the exhibits as much as I did!

Warhammer World: The Fall of Outpost Sigma-12

One of the newer displays (to me at least) at Warhammer World was the fall of Sigma-12. This is Cthonia. And it is also one of the last battles of the Heresy since immediately afterward the Siege of Terra began. Traitor forces of the Sons of Horus undermine (literally) the defensive positions of the Imperial Fists as their subterranean forces emerge. The loyalists fight on to extract as high a toll as possible and make the traitors victory Pyrrhic. 

The whole scene (above) is a rather incredibly put together diorama. I liked the assault being conducted by the Sons of Horus - it looks exactly like the tip of an armoured spear as I might envisage it. 

The Imperial Fists won't like the holes in those walls!

Nor will they like the termites that are coming!

But the loyalists are clearly making the traitors pay across the board and backline!

Warhammer World: Choose Your Colours [For Heresy]

A little addition that I spotted on my recent rounds of Warhammer World: all of the legions in one display with a variety of miniatures, specialist legion terminators, upgrade parts, and nice paint jobs. 

I rather liked this cabinet as a reference material. Sure: there were other displays focussed on every single legion which I might also post at a future point, but this one just stood out as a singular piece and a reference set. Hope you like it as much as I stared at it for a long while!

Warhammer World: Gaming Tables Selection

More images from Warhammer World today. This time a selection of their gaming tables which are available to book and play upon. And for me: also some inspiration in there for the terrain and scenery of course!

The table with the fallen titan was a highlight for me. I won't be recreating it due to budgetary considerations unless someone really wants to sponsor me for a very hefty amount! Very inspirational regardless.

The combination of Tyranid terrain, Death World Forest, and natural lotus heads (that's the one with lots of holes that sometimes triggers people). I like these combinations, and seeing the death world forest also wrap itself around the more industrial terrain is something I might try (with the caveat of having to obtain some more death world terrain one day, but it is out of production now). 

A more regular layout here, but lots of dense terrain with walkways makes for an interesting and tactical board. 

An ork looted set of terrain.

I liked the use of the Necromunda Hab blocks on ground level. But again, a bit expensive to do for my terrain. 

A much more crafted table with a road down the (long) board and installations on either side. 

Industrial settings here, with recessed green pools of (maybe) acid or something similar that doesn't warrant to much investigation potentially. 

And finally a more traditional set of terrain around the board. 

Hope you enjoyed this short tour of terrain highlights from Warhammer World!

Warhammer World: Isstvan 5 Drop Site

I was recently able to visit Warhammer World again for the first time in years. It has changed a lot since I last went, and there are lots of new exhibits. 

One of the newer ones is the Isstvan 5 drop site diorama featuring the Salamanders retreating back to what they thought would be friendly legions only to be betrayed. The Iron Warriors have opened fire on them having already sided with Horus in his civil war. 

The sheer scale of the diorama is impressive from the wide angle shot above. Given the crowds, this was the best angle I could get on the total diorama. To the right are the entrenched positions of the Iron Warriors. To the left are the retreating and dying forces of the Salamanders. Some have made it very close to the traitor lines and are engaging thoroughly. Other Salamanders are trying to rally survivors as best as possible. 

The view above gives the Salamanders view looking upward to the hills where the Iron Warriors have dropped in their walls from orbit. 

And here is the opposite view from the Iron Warriors line looking downward into the depression. 

The detail is insane. 

And the layers of dust and wreckage tell their own stories. 

I spent ages at the diorama looking at all the little details and the smaller stories that they are telling where there are brave survivors looking for a way out, and those determined to still take the fight forward. 

Incredible!

Warhammer World: Tzeentchian Cabinet

Deep in Warhammer World, I snapped this image of a set of Tzeentch daemons that caught my eye. I have a series of these kinds of snaps from some of the cabinets. Taking these images is tough due to the high reflectivity and the lights that are shining in multiple directions.

The thing that caught my eye about this set up is not particularly the miniature themselves - although they are interesting given the square base, of course, these days, but rather the paint scheme itself. The blue colour that has been used here is a much darker and sombre tone than I am used to seeing (or even painting myself -- I usually go for something a bit more in the ultramarine blue range for these miniatures). I think it has worked well as the flames on the flamers themselves are muted too. Although there are yellows and oranges in there, the reds are not as hot as I've seen some painted and I was taken as well by the little flames flickering at the bases. The black arms as well help the flames stand out more and that is something that I think I will be personally taking away from the colour scheme for critters like this.

The one on the left hand side stands out even further as his (her?) (its?) flames are in a totally different palette to the others. The head of the flamer is a Genestealer purple colour. This contrasts with the almost ghostly, ethereal green colour that is spewing out of the creature's mouth (orifices?) at the upper end, with a trail to white at the tips. I like this one as it appeals to the magical nature of these creatures. 

Meanwhile the scribes at the back are resplendent for their own authentic colour scheme that is in total keeping with expectations and the miniatures around them. Again, I might have opted for a tone lighter myself, but I really love what I saw in the cabinet here. 

My only genuine criticism is that the bases are not much. Maybe in this day and age one expects a little more on the bases, or a little more attention being paid to them. Its one of those things that has increased in the hobby over the years I guess. Apart from that, I really like this cabinet a lot. More daemons from it at a later date!

Warhammer World: Dragon and Knight

I wanted to finish off this week with a picture that I took at Warhammer World a while back. This one was in the classics section of the exhibitions. It features an older style dragon pouncing on and combating the attentions of a knight.

Interestingly for a piece like this is the wooden mount that can be seen for the base. Show pieces like this one are somewhat rare, even in the modern era. It is really pleasing to see the effort gone to for a diorama like this. 

I like the colours on the dragon as well. At first, its not clear that a cream colour for the leathery wing sections would go so well with the reds and blacks of the dragon. But then think of the Blood Ravens chapter of the space marines for whom a similar approach works so nicely. The blue and white of the knight also work well together, albeit in a starker manner. However, this would be a very reasonable choice for an historic knight to pick as well. 

The base is nicely flocked and the overall effect is a joy to linger and stare in to. 

Warhammer World: Nostalgic Bridges

Some of the remaining photographs that I have from Warhammer World don't fit snugly in to any single category. Instead, the kind of span the bridge (literal and figuratively) between Warhammer Fantasy, Role-play, advertising, and Board games.

These two images are prime examples. The first is an undead scene (close up) of a charge across a polluted moat in to a castle like fort by undead. The second, is more of a board game style image that really appealed to me. I remember the former appearing in White Dwarf (if memory serves) way back in the day. The second is relatively new to me, but I think has its origins in Hero Quest and similar games. Can anyone comment what the second one is actually from please? I failed to jot it down, embarrassingly...

Warhammer World: Age of Sigmar Diorama

Some photographs from Age of Sigmar today that I have been meaning to process for a while now and get on the blog. However, some internet connectivity issues in the past week have forced me offline for a little while, so I hope these uploads make it! I like a number of features of this diorama. In particular, the thing that really shines for me is the floating rock in the middle of it. There is something very chaotic about it (Tzeentchian almost), yet it retains something of its former glory of the time that once was arguably. Very appealing overall.

Warhammer World: The Pilgrym

"A being of supreme psychic might, yet still but an infant, the Pilgrym has been brought to the soil of Terra by Lorde Castor Marguardt. This mysterious power could prove instrumental in the plots of those who scheme on the soil of Terra, from strange gutter-cults to factions of the Inquisition possessed of the seemingly incredible belief that they might use the Pilgrym to unshackle the God-Emperor from his Golden Throne."

"A seven month `collaborative storytelling game' undertaken by friend from around this world, this display features an array of amazingly detailed models, and incredible gaming board, influenced by the evocative artwork of John Blanche.

The board is in two parts -- the processional steps and the Imperial Shrine created by Mikael Silvanto and the Botanicarium built by Stefan Darlan Boris and Rune Nielsen."

Warhammer World: The Burning of Prospero

One of the newer exhibits inside Warhammer World is the Burning of Prospero. Given that Inferno is available for pre-order this weekend, I thought I would upload my images of this display board. 

There are plenty of nice features on the board, ranging from the spilt plant pots through to the battle scenes themselves. Leman Russ is very dynamic in this regard, as is the Space Wolves leviathan ripping apart a contemptor. There's so many nice touches, I just wished the board was a little bigger! [I think I have a video of this display somewhere on disk as well -- I'll try to dig that out at a late date!].

World Eaters Muster -- Video

Taken at Warhammer World, this is a video of the mustering of the World Eaters legion that is featured in the artwork and publicity for the Horus Heresy books. I really liked the juxtaposition of the different Realm of Battle tiles coupled with the stark white and blues of the space marine marching in strict rows and columns plus the sheer violence that is lurking under the surface of a legion that used to know well the value of tactics and strategy.

Warhammer World: Ironjawz Warclan War in the Jade Kingdom

"Megaboss Kroggax slashes and burns his way through the Hollow Forest at the head of a brutal Ironjawz Warclan. "

This display is the diametric opposite of the Sylvaneth display that is next door to the Orruk display. Destruction and new birth juxtaposed beautifully. I really love this pair of displays, even though I've not yet played a full game of Age of Sigmar. I'm inspired!