GORECHOSEN

Between this thread and the new White Dwarf I picked up on a whim, I'm slowly being drug into GW's maw.

I subscribed to WD at the game store, have plans to pick up Gorechosen in the next few weeks, and picked up the Bloodstoker model per Barnes' tip.

Do you clean mold lines Michael? I have no idea how I'm going to do that on the Bloodstoker's whip without absolutely destroying it.

Now I have to resist throwing money at a bunch of Sylvaneth models... those tree guys... my will is weak.

JEM wrote: Well, I ordered this from the Discount store- I hope you get a commission on those, Barnes. Doing some research it looks like the White Dwarf figure is already in the game, so that's a duplicate. What else is there to track down? Youtube videos and official GW pages don't seem to have info on the additional blokes.

ETA: OK I ordered Mr Whippy for $6 on ebay. That giant Pog carrying guy is only up on auctions by the same seller for something like $15 BIN. Maybe five is enough figures for now.

is mr. whippy also a silver tower participant?

I got a chance to play this.

While simple, it is a rather good game. If you can afford the gw tax, the additional characters are nice too.

I am almost enamored with it. Gw hasn't made a game this good in a long minute.

I got decapitated in one game, and I couldn't be happier.

For those of you who like to retheme games, this is ripe for potential. I could see this being used as the gladiatorial main event in Spartacus. Instead of the boring dice fest already there.

I agree with Barnes that this could be a good marketing vehicle for other races to include. Missed opportunity.

Out of nowhere GW is currently making the best games on the market.

Maybe I'm daft, but I can't find an extra characters buyers guide or anything of the sort. Is there a place to get the info on all the extra Gorechosen characters, i.e. cards, models, what to buy, etc?

The rulebook has four of them- the Slaughterpriest that was free with White Dwarf, Exalted Deathbringer with Impaling Spear, Bloodstoker, and Bloodsecrator. The latter two are in the Agr of Sigmar starter or you can buy them parted out on eBay for $5-$15.

White Dwarf has the cards for Skaar and Valkia...Valkia is a GW web store exclusive.

Michael Barnes wrote: Out of nowhere GW is currently making the best games on the market.

Whodathunk that making games at a place called games workshop would make sense?

Bye bye Kirby.

I have an extra Bloodstoker and Bloodsecrator now- $15 shipped for both.

This game does sound like a good great time, but sometimes I wonder how much of this recent GW love is nostalgia for those AT games of the 80s that you guys grew up with.

The first reason that I ever stepped into a comic shop on a regular basis as a 9-10 year old was to blow my allowance on a 4th Edition or Ice Age starter pack. Even for gamers of different ages, Magic was the starting point for a lot of current gamers and Euro gamers. I think this is why Dominion and its clones fared so well for awhile. It helped recreate that feel of making a deck without actually requiring people to keep up and sink money into an evolving competitive environment.

Eventually I did play a little of the GW games (1997-1998ish), mostly 40K with an Eldar army. I won't deny that their world building is excellent. I probably spent more time reading some of the codices over than I did playing or painting. But the reason I got into Heroscape (and more recently X-Wing) is that I really don't care for the hobby side as much as the playing side of these games.

I think part of the reason that Pokemon Go is/was so big is that it tapped into that nostalgia factor for the late 20s crowd, as well as any kids that have kept up with or been raised on these later generations of pokemon. It probably helps that a lot of these people are already glued to their smart phones.

Michael Barnes wrote: I have an extra Bloodstoker and Bloodsecrator now- $15 shipped for both.

I'm assuming you won that AoS core set. How much did it go for (if you don't mind me asking)?

I probably had a too high asking price, but my mini-humans favorite minis are the Stormcast painted up in purple, so I couldn't let it go for too low.

Michael. I think I want those blood boys for 15. Are they assembled? Painted?

Still looking for Deathbringer with Impaling Spear.

They are on sprues- completely unassembled/unpainted. I can put them together for you if you like. The only catch is they are in transit so I can't ship until they get here, obviously. I just wound up with an AOS starter at an unexpedely low price and I'll have two of them. But yeah, if you want 'em they are yours.

Barrow- I actually didn't win that one. I caught one some dude posted for $80 shipped so that was the best deal I've seen on it yet. In shrink. What is in that Ghal Maraz book, I might be interested in it.

15 sent. I'll PM you the address. Sent them when you can. No rush. Thank you.

Michael Barnes wrote: Barrow- I actually didn't win that one. I caught one some dude posted for $80 shipped so that was the best deal I've seen on it yet. In shrink. What is in that Ghal Maraz book, I might be interested in it.

Nice find. It seems every once in a while you can get a sweet deal on any GW stuff from someone who is moving it quick. I grabbed my Deathwatch Overkill for $85 in a similar quick sale.

Quest for Ghal Maraz is one of the campaign books that contains a mixture of painting guides, scenarios, battalions (warscrolls that aggregate the unit warscrolls), unit warscrolls, and a lot of background. The battalions are only available in the books and not online, this one has Nurgle, Pestilens, Stormcast and Bloodbound battalions. The scenarios are not specific to any armies, but they do provide enough background that you could probably use thematic armies, no actual lists.

Overall, I think:

Painting guides: decent
Background: interesting ideas, mostly poor writing
Unit warscrolls: free online, so who cares?
Battalion warscrolls: great
Scenarios: great

Jexik wrote: This game does sound like a good great time, but sometimes I wonder how much of this recent GW love is nostalgia for those AT games of the 80s that you guys grew up with.

Of course that's an element. But it's not like this is the first time GW have experimented with board games or small-scale skirmish games over the last 20 years. We had the LotR battle game and no-one leaped on that. Dreadfleet caused a splash then sank without trace.

What's suddenly changed is that the quality of the games, in terms of the actual game play, has become really good. Silver Tower is an imaginative design and lots of fun. I haven't played Gorechosen but it sounds like a quality, stripped down tactical battle game. The new GW titles in general are rediscovering a strand of gaming that kind of got buried. They use modern design ideas to show that games can still be a ton of fun even if they're not filled with layers of tactical decision making.

Plus there's the value aspect. GW is famed for its price gouging but while these boxes have high RRP their contents are a steal. You could pay £50 for a copy of Eclipse with the ugliest spaceships ever committed to plastic. Or £25 more will net you a box full of stunning sculpts in high quality plastic. Even if you don't paint them, it's hard not be wowed by this stuff on the tabletop.

You'll also note this is not cross the board adoration. People are not fawning over Assassinorium or that newt spaceship battle game. Stuff like Deathwatch, Betrayal at Calth and Lost Patrol are getting lukewarm praise from some quarters.

It's not just nostalgia: in a veritable glut of new board games from GW there are a handful that represent great fun and great value for money.