Newsletter 175
Warhammer 40,000 Imperial Trench System
In concert with Imperial Armour Volume Five, we’ve created a range of terrain pieces allowing you to re-create the brutal trench fighting that takes places on Vraks, or indeed any other war-torn battlefield of your choice. Our system features a wide range of options and combinations including fortified firing posts, Death Korps heavy weapons, as well as trench equipment, ladders and a bunker strongpoint. The huge flexibility of the Trench System allows you to create your own unique network of trenches and fortifications for your battles and is intended to be used a part of a purpose made board in conjunction with other terrain.
Trenches are such a simple battlefield terrain feature but until now were a real challenge to make on your own. To use the trenches you just need two sheets of 1 inch/25mm thick polyfoam sheet available from almost every home-improvement store, cut the shape of the trench out of both and drop them in. It really is that simple! See an example of how to build and use the new 40K Trench System
here.
Our new 40K Trench System is available to pre-order now for release week commencing the 21st of May. Click here to pre-order yours at the Forge World online store.
With an absolute minimum of effort, the Trench System can easily be converted for use by non-Imperial 40K armies too. File off or deface a few Aquila symbols, add a bit of damage, graffiti and other such characterful bits and pieces and then Ork Warbosses and Chaos Warmasters can hold an over-run Imperial position…
The Trench System breaks down into the following sets:
40K TRENCH SYSTEM - TRENCH SET 1 (3X STRAIGHTS, 2X CORNERS)
40K TRENCH SYSTEM - TRENCH END WITH GUN MOUNT
40K TRENCH SYSTEM - TRENCH BUNKER
40K TRENCH SYSTEM - TRENCH SUPPORT STRUT WITH LIGHT X6
40K TRENCH SYSTEM - LADDERS, FIRING STEPS & BRIDGES
40K TRENCH SYSTEM - EQUIPMENT (SCANNER, GENERATOR ETC.)
40K TRENCH SYSTEM - TRENCH END WITH LADDER X2
40K TRENCH SYSTEM - HEAVY WEAPONS (STUBBERS & AUTOCANNON) WITH 3 CREW
Death Korps of Krieg Gorgon Infantry
Characterful, beautifully detailed and oh-so-useful. These terms all perfectly describe our next release;
Death Korps of Krieg Gorgon Infantry. These are special single part castings of up to six guardsmen in line abreast, designed to allow you to fit the full complement of 50 Death Korps Guardsmen in a Gorgon. You can now rumble implacably across the table and sow a little terror in your opponent’s mind by showing them just how many troops you’re assaulting with! Another great use for these troops is to line the new 40K trench system shown above with them as they mass, ready to ‘go over the top’! As well as being a useful representation for the Warhammer 40K player, they are also lovely models and I’ve no doubt they’ll grace many display pieces and dioramas too.
These new Gorgon Infantry models are available either on their own or bundled with either of our Gorgon Assault Transport variants, and are available for pre-order at the Forge World online store now for release week commencing the 21st of May.
New Etched Brass – Khorne & Dark Angels
Khorne players for Warhammer Fantasy as well as Warhammer 40K will want to take a look at this new sheet of etched brass Khorne symbols and icons. Ranging from the simple Khorne symbols a mere 2mm or 1/16 of an inch across that you see in the top right of the sheet, to the incredible, much larger icons in the top left and bottom right. I can see these finding use on shields, barding and banners for Warhammer players and then again being used by 40K Khorne followers on Dreadnoughts, Chaos Space Marine shoulder pads and armoured vehicles.
Dark Angels collectors will also have a wide variety of icons and symbols to adorn their forces with. From the tiny Chapter icon that is small enough to grace individual weapons to huge armoured plates proclaiming the proud ancestry of this, the very first Chapter of Imperial Space Marines.
Both these stunning new etched brass sheets are available for pre-order at the Forge World online store now for release week commencing the 21st of May.
Forge World Catalogue 2007 Now Available
Just a reminder that our brand new, and completely free, Forge World 2007 catalogue is now available to send out to anywhere in the world. If you have requested a catalogue in the last week or so then you should receive yours very soon indeed. If you haven’t and would like to receive one, just send us your name and full postal address to
[email protected] and we will get one in the post to you just as soon as we can.
Newsletter 176
`Imperial Armour Volume 5 – The Siege of Vraks Part 1` - A Closer Look
IA5 is officially the fastest selling book that Forge World has released. We are sending so many copies out since it`s release that we`ve had to order in a larger van to collect the mail each day!
So why is this book so popular then? Without real mention of the superlatively detailed narrative, the many illustrations, maps and background information, this huge book contains two new Warhammer 40,000 army lists; the Death Korps of Krieg Siege Regiment army list and the Renegades and Heretics army list.
The Siege Regiment list is a specialised Imperial Guard army list, much like the Armoured Company or Drop Troops army lists, developed to give a whole new character and style of play to the Death Korps and the greater Imperial Guard as a whole.
The Renegades and Heretics army list creates a wholly new kind of Chaos force, one just beginning the fall to damnation and into the clutches of the Dark Gods. This is an army list that can stand toe-to-toe with many an Imperial Guard army in terms of numbers of troops and firepower that can be amassed, without any Daemons or possessed gobbling up huge amounts of points.
Over a third of this big 192 page book is dedicated to the story and narrative. You are led through the back-story and histories of the key players in this sorry tale, leading to the build-up of military forces and the inevitable titanic clash of millions of troops, artillery pieces and lumbering armoured vehicles upon the wasteland surface of Vraks Prime. Warwick`s narrative is detailed down to the level of individual troops, which I found gives a very realistic first-hand account of the bitter fighting and foul environment of the trenches and battlefields. The reader is kept aware of the `Big Picture` through the use of maps and strategic overviews of the campaign as the years of grinding warfare continue remorselessly.
Of course the forces of Krieg and the Vraksian Militia are not the only ones fighting on the plains of Vraks during the first years of the war. Perhaps responding to the reported appearance of Traitor Space Marines, almost half the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter are lead into battle by Azreal, the Supreme Grand Master of the Chapter. The Dark Angels launch a furious assault against Vraks star port with the aim of destroying the renegades` ability to land more reinforcements. Whilst succeeding in this objective, the hoped for capture of the enemy they were truly seeking, the Alpha Legion warband of Arkos the Faithless, unfortunately did not go according to plan.
IA5 details the composition of the Dark Angels strike force lead by Azreal and shows many colour profiles and details of many Battle Brothers who fought during the Vraks deployment.
To show you that little bit more of this great book we have created another selection of page spreads.
`Imperial Armour Volume 5 – The Siege of Vraks Part 1` is in stock at Forge World and
is available to order via the Forge World online store today.
Second Glance – 40K Trench System
Since we showed the 40K Trench System in our last newsletter, we`ve had quite a few enquiries about it so we decided to re-visit this new scenery system and
show you some more pictures.
One thing I forgot to include first time round was how big the trenches were! In the basic set you get three long straight sections that are each approximately 140mm/5.5inches long. The floor of the trench is a minimum of 40mm wide so big models like Space Marine Terminators and Tyranid Warriors will fit. Most human-sized models will be protected from enemy fire by the deep sides of the trenches, a good 40mm deep with the additional protection of ferrocrete crenulations above that!
Long, straight trenches are not a good idea. If the enemy manage to get into the trench then they can fire down the entire length. Far better to have short lengths of trench separated by corners, so the set includes three junction/corner sections. Any `blank` ends can be completed with the dedicated end sections, gun emplacements, bunkers, or just left with a dirt face to represent where excavation has stopped.
The Gun Emplacements have been designed to work with the pack of Trench System Heavy Weapons, but with a minute or two of simple converting I have no doubt that plastic Imperial Guard heavy weapons will fit. For that matter, I reckon that with very little work almost any medium sized heavy weapon could be fitted to these Gun Emplacements and to the heavy ferrocrete Trench Bunker to make a set of Cadian trenches, Ork dugouts or defences captured by the corrupting powers of Chaos.
The Trench Bunker could make a great command post but it does have mounts for three heavy weapons inside. I think that this would be perfect to represent a `dug-in` Imperial Guard heavy weapon squad…
To add character and depth to your trench system, the designers made various packs that can be added to your fortifications, such as Ladders, Firing Steps and Bridges which would allow your troops to `go over the top` more easily, packs of overhead Support Struts and Light Bars, as well as a pack of Imperial Guard Equipment.
I’m a big fan of the 40K Trench System and love how easy it is to make.
See our simple `How To` guide here. All you need is two sheets of 25mm/1inch thick polystyrene and you are off! The entire 40K Trench System is in stock at Forge World and
is available to order via the Forge World online store right now.
New Models on the Horizon…
In the next number of weeks we`ll be able to release a whole lot of new model kits and accessories. In the newsletter today we’ll take a quick look at two of these.
The Malcador Heavy Tank has been spotted at a few Forge World shows and events already this Spring. To tell the truth there have been several different versions and variants on the design out there but this one is far more a `finished` model, even though we`re not showing you all the options and parts that come with the kit! This Malcador is bristling with firepower, no fewer than five Heavy Bolters in the raised superstructure, a Lascannon on either side in rather neat recessed sponsons and the huge snout of a Demolisher Cannon jutting out of the lower front hull. This is going to be quite a serious opponent to face on the battlefield!
I like the huge engine deck hanging way out the back of the Malcador, the visible road-wheels and that boxy superstructure. This is an ugly brute of a tank and I really like it! I look forward to showcasing it in greater detail in another Forge World Newsletter soon.
Renegade Militia Enforcers are an elite cadre of brutal strongmen loyal to the renegade Cardinal Xaphan on Vraks. They oversee the rank and file hordes of Renegade Militia troops fighting in his name, but those that fail in their duty, or waver in their devotion to their foul leader face summary execution at the hands of the Enforcers…
This is just one of several Enforcer models that will be released in the next number of weeks, all armed with a variety of nasty, jagged close combat weapons and pistols. The demonic faced helmets are just great and make a perfect contrast to the soft looking gas-masks of the Renegade Militia they will `encourage` into battle!
And there`s more....
Renegade Militia forces will soon be able to mark their vehicles, fortifications and troops with our newest set of etched brass icons and symbols. That`s so new even I haven`t seen it yet!
Not to be outdone, Death Korps of Krieg regiments will soon be able to get their gauntleted hands on a huge new sheet of water-slide transfers.
The skies of Aeronautica Imperialis games will become even more dangerous places in the weeks to come as we continue to make new models to fill the spaces in the book. Not only that, but I have seen the most enormous Chaos bomber down on one of the designer`s desks, so we can expect news and pictures of new aircraft and models to reach the newsletter soon!
