Warhammer Fest 2023 Recap and Comments – Part 2

Picking up after day one of Warhammer Fest 2023, Games Workshop started with Age of Sigmar, we actually received a three part reveal.

The first one, covering a well-deserved update on the Imperial Knights, now known as Cities of Sigmar Freeguild Cavaliers. Quite the tall horses and stunning barding on these. I like the different armour pieces and variants for the helmets. The old kit is 25 years old and did some heavy lifting back in the day, but it is time to send them into their well-deserved retirement. It will be interesting to see if the Demigryph cavalry will be phased out as well, as they don't really fit with the scale and who would ride demigryphs if you can have these horses? Impressive kit and I can imagine an impressive kitbash potential for Astra Militarum rough riders as well.

Then we had two further teasers, the first one being Dawnbringers with a four of different characters coming with their own retinue as small army boxes and introducing a new story arc for 2023 for Age of Sigmar. The first book is Harbingers (of Decay), giving us new mounted Nurgle Chaos Champion, with a stunning reincarnation of the old 2004 model mixed with Frank Frazettas Deathdealer. The other three lack the impressive stature of this model and are far from eye-level. The Warcry Flesh-Eater champion is more impressive than this one, the Fyreslayer looks a bit cheap to be honest. The Gloomgit could be from Warhammer Underworlds, but there is a lot of "noise" on this small miniature, looks restless. As for the third Age of Sigmar teaser, the Ironjaw / Orruk novelty, funny teaser, rather something I would expect with 40k than AoS, and again not really my cup of tea.

And after that, the Horus Heresy slot. We expected a lot, more info on the Siege of Cthonia teaser, and we kind a got that. Actually teased in broad daylight on the cover of Siege of Cthonia was a Cerastus Knight Lancer, who will be released in plastic ... in 28mm! This is quite nice. I would be a candidate to treat myself with one, just for my showcase and prefer plastic in that size towards resin. Not what I expected, but excited.

There were already rumours that we would see two main characters from the conflict, and we got those. An Imperial Fist in Terminator armour, Lord Castellan Evander Garrius and a True Son of Horus, Vheren Ashurhaddon.

Beyond that, we received a road map for 2023/2024 and most definitive would be the renders of the plastic assault squads with Mark VI armour. And once more, a few more teasers in broad daylight. The road map covers for autumn a dreadnought and armour mk update. We were shown as a teaser the picture in the middle, so I assume we will receive the upscaled Mark III armour infantry (with new options) and Deredeo Pattern Dreadnought, shown in the background, in plastic. As for the inducti, I assume these will be covered with a different paint job and not with a kit of their own.

And then we received the teaser on the re-release of Epic as the final part of the Horus Heresy session. "Command Legions" and play the conflict on a new scale are dead giveaways along with the graphics they used, as they match the old battle reports of Space Marine in the White Dwarf. As I want to see how this turns out, and what we will receive in the next few months on this, I'll put my own Horus Heresy Epic project on hold - but I'll stay with Imperial Fists.

Are we hyped? Oh yeah. Are we finished? Far from it, as there was still a Warhammer - The Old World slot to be covered. And Games Workshop did their market research and used the most sought after armies and those with the most insane pricing on the 2nd hand market to begin with - the Bretonnians and Tomb Kings.

Interesting teaser on the return of the Old World. Both models are very fitting and in line with the old, existing range. As for the Bretonnian Paladin so much, that this could have been a Golden Demon conversion based upon the old plastic range. The Khemri model is spot on as well. Really great to see them return and rather funny to see some people being irritated that "these Age of Sigmar models use square bases?!".

I'm happy for those who wait for the return of the Old World. For me this is nothing I intend to join, at least not in 28mm, as I pointed out in an article a few years ago. I like the charm, but will keep it in a skirmish sized portion, and for mass combat, I'll probably use Warmaster, a smaller scale and 3d printing.

Anyhow, impressive Sunday and I can imagine that people were satisfied with all the items covered and introduced. Let's see what Monday has in store for us.