Swords, boards and sci -fi hordes sweep across the table in this week's Frontline News!
A Song of Ice and Fire: The Miniatures Game has a history of delivering stunning and characterful miniatures, and we've had many a cracking game of it in the bunker. It's been some time since we mentioned it here though, but even pandemics can't stop the approach of Winter... and new boxed sets are on the way to bolster your armies!
First up, Baratheon Heroes I contains a wealth of unit attachments and NCUs, with some being unique to forces loyal to Stannis, whilst others will only fight for Renly. Stannis himself gives units the R'hllor keyword, making the troops he's commanding Fearless and unlocking various tactics for use in battle.
If you're on Team Renly, CMON has got you covered. Renly's Unwavering Charisma provides immunity to enemy tactics, forcing your opponent to change their strategy on the fly. Brienne, meanwhile, enables your force to hit harder in combat, making this wing of Baratheon durable and aggressive. It's really interesting to see a faction that is split down the middle, so collectors of this army who purchase both sets will effectively have two different ways of playing, which is sure to keep opponents guessing!
Talking about keeping people guessing, speculation about the new edition of Warhammer 40,000 continues apace this week. Games Workshop has released some new information about this latest set of rules, enabling players to develop a clearer idea of how 9th edition will build on the foundations laid by the previous iteration.
We can see that the way Command Points are accrued has been overhauled, making the system a lot simpler and, let's be honest, fairer. This also means that players can rock up with less conventional armies and still have a decent number of CPs, which is awesome. Command Points can be used to unlock other detachments to create a more varied force. More stratagems are in development too, for example 'Cut them down!' which allows your units to punish retreating enemies with a torrent of mortal wounds!
What's more, the new edition is introducing special actions into the game, which sounds very interesting. The examples given are planting homing beacons or raising banners. It'll be fascinating to see how this functions, and just what agency this adds to the player turn. We can't wait to hear more about how secondary objectives add spice to the missions, too, and what the app is going to include.
When you see what the Necrons are bringing to 9th edition battlefields, you'll be hoping that one of the new actions available to your squads is 'run screaming in the opposite direction.' Armed with Hyperphase Reap-Blades (which do exactly what it says on the tin), the Skorpekh Destroyers inflict AP-4 hits that will even have Terminators thinking twice about teleporting in close to the enemy line.
The new Blackstone Fortress expansion Deadly Alliance is finally here! It introduces the Archivist, a Zoat character who can also be taken as a mercenary in any Warhammer 40,000 army. Looking forward to seeing what he brings to the table!
If you're wondering how your Chaos forces can keep pace with all these new rules and characters (not to mention Zoats), then fear not. Fabius Bile is returning in the next instalment of Psychic Awakening and he's sure to be bringing some horrifying surprises for the Imperium. Will Bile be providing a dark and twisted alternative to the Primaris Space Marines? Probably. Will ninth edition see Chaos unleash a new threat upon the battlefield? Certainly. Stay frosty, people, because when Bile's about, you know things are bound to change.
Finally this week, if you're looking for some co-op action for when we're allowed to mingle again, or if you just want to invest in a game with a topical name, we urge you to look at Nemesis Lockdown. This brutal and gorgeous sci-fi survival horror is the follow-up to the remarkable Nemesis game, and does not require the original game in order to play. Check out the Kickstarter page here! Just do it with the lights on, because this alien menace is absolutely terrifying!
That's all from us this week. We hope you're all staying safe. Let us know what you've been up to hobby-wise, and what new expansions and games you've got your eye on!
