White Dwarf - November 2012

This is the second issue in the new style so it's time to see if the gang can keep up the great work they started last month. The issue comes with the annual gift guide and also a tiny pamphlet with rules for a couple of new units for fantasy chaos armies, yay for new rules!

New Releases - I didn't really have a clue about what was coming this month so this whole section was a surprise. We lead with the new Warriors of Chaos models. The Warshrine looks epic, the Skullcrushers look deadly and the Hellstriders are a Slaanesh unit I actually don't mind! Scyla Anfingrimm looks a bit like an angry pokemon and I'm not too sure what to make of Festus, the details are amazing but I'm a bit put off by his chin! The two lords, one Khorne and one nurgle are amazing, if I'm ever in a position to just pick up a cool model for the fun of painting it these would be high on the list.

The new White Dwarf miniature is also out this month, I love the model, it's hilarious, but I won't be able to work it into my dwarf army like I have done with previous versions.

Cultists are released in a pack of 5 with mixed weapons so it still looks like the best way to get whole squads in the DV box. Also released are the christmas megaforces. They are all big value for money and a really cool way to kickstart a new army project.

Now we come onto the new releases that I'm the most excited about. The edge paint set is a great addition to the already lovely range. It has some almost pastel colours and a 'eavy metal brush. Hopefully soon they'll sell the pots separately as at the moment they're just in a bundle but I'll be checking these out this Saturday.

The final thing that grabbed my attention was the new basing kits. I had one a while ago and the slate has been invaluable for my army. The kit that really grabbed my attention is the Under-Empire one. It has green crystals for my Necron army and mushrooms for my Dwarf army. Another purchase for this weekend.

Actually that wasn't the final thing, the final thing is actually the Imperial Defence Network or the Wall of Martyrs. It's a huge 100 quid kit which effectively allows you to create a trench network for your table. It doesn't look like there's any fortification rules for it so it might just be a piece of terrain, time will tell.

Forge World Latest - Resin time and a look at the Magma dragon and incarnate elemental that were released a while ago. The stand out piece for me though is the Heresy era marine jetbike. The kit is lush and I can't wait to add some to my #ForgeWorldOnly army in time.

Digital Products - The Vampire Counts army book gets the ipad treatment.

Black Library - A massive section for the book division this time with a look at two major releases, Pariah, and the first hardback Horus Heresy novel Angel Exterminatus. I like the idea of hardbacks and if I hadn't already bought the whole series in paperback I'd be considering these.

Licensed Games - FFG bring us a brand new RPG all about guard. It looks like it'll follow in their high standard of books.

Army of the Month - A huge Empire army from a chap called Rich Packer. It all looks great as you'd expect but one thing I noticed was the lack of big beasties such as the demigryphs and the big warmachine thingys.

Jervis Johnson - This month he tackles the topic of comp. When I say tackle I mean he outlines the two points of view then fails to fall on either side of the fence! I think the gist of the piece was that it's all cool and that we're entitled to take it to extremes but moderation is always best.

Battle Report - Andrew and Jes take to the battlefield again with a game of fantasy to test out the latest releases. Many people moan about the reports, that the armies aren't super competitive and that they're just an excuse to squeeze in more of the latest releases. I say why the hell not? It's a great way for people who aren't familiar with the army books to see how the units work and also it's just always nice to play with the new shiny toys!

Blanchitsu - A further look at Johns Inquisitorial warband. He really loves that Nurgle lord! His kit bash of the wraith is unbelievable, every photo in this article is a treat.

Hall of Fame - It certainly wouldn't be my pick for a stand out model but I suppose it is technically good and it certainly is well painted.

Parade Ground - A look at tanks. The Black Templar Land Raider is a stand out piece along with the beefy FW Praetor.

Kit Bash - A fist full of ideas about converting 40k warlords. The dreadnought power fist on the Inquisitor lord is crazy cool and it's lovely to see so much creativity in the magazine.

Battle Ground - I've never seen this board despite going to Warhammer World twice, they must pack it away for FW open days. This is stereotypical GW with shitloads of skulls all over the shop. Again there's some neat little conversion ideas.

Paint Splatter - Loads of different techniques for all sorts of chaos parts from armour to horns to fur. Nothing ground breaking but an interesting read with a few tips to remember. There's also a very model masterclassesque salt weathering technique for some extreme weathering.

Jeremy Vetock - Jeremy recognises that wargaming takes place in clubs and places other than the stores. It's a cool article and seems really genuine. He comes across as a nice guy and I'm looking forward to reading more from him in the upcoming months.

This Month In - First off is the WD bunker which looks exactly how I envisage my gaming room to look like when I get one early next year. There's plenty of space for painting and gaming and loads of display shelves. Andrew Kenrick's heldrake looks sweet, a great paint job in DG colours rather than the usual red. It does look like a right pain in the arse to transport though!
In the design studio they chat briefly about the chaos models but the really interesting part is the section penned by Dave Andrews about how he went about building the trench network.
Forge World show us the new Realm of Battle boards, I wasn't too impressed with them at first but they're really growing on me, postage would be huge!

You can tell by the length of this month's and last month's reviews that these new issues are rammed with stuff. Lot's of people have pointed out that the page count has already dropped and that there's a few articles missing this time round. I think this is to do with there not being a full codex release this month and that if the same articles were run all the time it might get stale. Better to cycle them round so that it keeps feeling fresh and is different each month. While nothing in this issue directly applied to an army of mine (which is surprising considering they seem to keep multiplying) I read each article and enjoyed the whole mag. It's consistent with last month although not as much 40k so an impressive 8/10 from me.

As always please let me know what you thought of it and please don't forget to follow the blog for your chance to win a painted miniature. Take care and I'll catch you soon.