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segersgia · 11 months ago

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Warhammer 2023 - My list of favourites this year

The new year is almost upon us, and this means I'm attempting to list off my favourite Warhammer miniatures of this year. And just like last year, I'm including Forge World stuff.

10. - Alchemite Warforger:

The first in what I hope is a returning series of Lore-specific wizards for AoS. The Alchemite Warforger is a wizard from the Gold College, seconded to the Freeguild armies to be used as a specialist in alchemy and Metal-magic.

Much like their ancestors from Warhammer Fantasy, the Warforgers work their magic on both friend and foe; their allies gain a sharper edge, while their enemies might die after their armor is melted off through sorcery.

The release of the new cities of Sigmar range featured a lot of good stuff. It was very difficult to pick just one. Any part of the range looks stunning, but for me, the Warforger was the first miniature that made my jaw drop. It is a wizard that actually fits its function and profession instead of being a guy in robes and it is a nice centerpiece for a small Freeguild force.

9. - Skabbik's Plaguepack:

To be perfectly honest. I forgot that this warband was a thing. Yet I would do it a disservice to leave it at that.

The Plaguepack are Skaven dedicated to the diseased teachings of the Clans Pestilens. They've traveled to the carniverous jungle of the Gnarlwood, in search of an ingredient for one of the legendary 13 Plagues. Their search eventually leads them to the undergrowth of the Wyrdhollow.

This warband is a microcosm of all that encompasses Clan Pestilens and it is one of the most characterful warbands released this year. And there were some strong contenders! However, what I see in this release is a glimpse at the potential for a big Skaven rework in the future. 4th Edition AoS is rumoured to feature the Ratmen in great supply, and I can't wait to see more.

8. - MKIII Tactical Squad:

This year's award to best Space Marine goes to the MK3 pattern of power armor. I've seen a lot of divisive opinions on this one.

MK3 "Iron Armor" was an adaptation of its previous armor mark, with added protection and frontal plating. It was the answer to the cramped and confined spaces of Space vessels (and in older sources, was specifically used to fight the Squat Empire). Even after millenia, the armor is still favoured by certain chapters and chaos legions.

I don't care what anybody says. This is a massive upgrade to their previous iteration. I have seen people complain that they look too lanky and that the spike makes no sense. I don't understand these opinions.

From the better proportions to a better and more faithfully designed helmet, it is a straight upgrade. It is also an amazing treasure trove for conversions. I think a lot of Chaos Marine players will be using this set for their own projects.

7. - The Drakfang Thirsters:

Vampires are almost perfect players for Blood Bowl. Their supernatural strength and agility gives them the perfect physique, with each vampire being a Star-player in their own right. Their penchant for hypnosis also helps in sabotaging the opponent. Their big weakness is their lust for blood, which they need to constantly sate.

The Drakfang Thirsters are the most famous of Vampire teams. Owned by the Pavalence Estate, they were the ones who first suggested adding in thralls to their roster, allowing the vampire players an easy blood-source to keep their urges at bay.

Games Workshop always manages to nail the Vampire aesthetic in their model line, and Blood Bowl is no different. They in fact went with a more classical approach, while still maintaining the bat-like aesthetic in their armor. I even like the thralls, who look malnourished and clearly show signs of getting their blood drained, with certain limbs being tied down to restrict blood flow.

I'm also glad to see the vampiric philosophy of "boobs-out" still shining through.

6. - Adeptus Arbites Exaction Squad:

I was excited for this Kill Team since being teased in the New Years reveal, and they didn't disapoint. Necromunda Enforcers are nice, but the Arbites is what everyone wanted out of Evil Space Police.

The Adeptus Arbites are what many might refer to as the "Federal Police Force" of the Imperium. They concern themselves with more important issues than what a local enforcement agency deals with, which includes overseeing if a planet pays its tithes.

When a planet in the Imperium revolts, the Arbites are usually the primary targets to take down. A precinct of Arbitrators is oftentimes better equipped and protected than the local army, and those wishing to secede from the Imperium know this.

An Exaction Squad is a specified team of arbitrators and enforcers tasked with hunting down a high-profile individual for interrogation or imprisonment.

It is so nice to see the Arbites return after all these years, and I hope more is in stock for them. I like the more knightly design of their armor and the fact you can model all of them to have either a shotgun or a riot shield and baton is surprisingly generous.

I do have some gripes. Like with the Navy Breachers, I dislike certain choices made by the design team. I've noticed for example that Games Workshop really likes making models have their upper scalp exposed, and I just wished that was not the case. I also wish there was more variety in the helmeted options and that they looked at the old concept art for inspiration. I also wished the Proctor had an overcoat, though they might want to save that for a proper judge.

5. - Fellgor Ravagers:

I'm going to give props to the Kill Team designers for bringing in a diverse range of new units that probably would've remained unsupported and forgotten in mainline 40k. Nobody would've ever expected Beastmen to get a unit.

Beastmen are a type of "Abhuman" typified by their bestial physical traits, such as horns and hooves. Oftentimes, they were mutated either through heavy pollution or high exposure to the Warp. Similar to their Fantasy/AoS counterpart, many of them are corrupted by Chaos.

Fellgors are Chaos Beastmen who have climbed the ranks to be considered the elite of their pack, and favoured by the Dark Gods. The Warp-tainted gifts they've received, have turned them into apex hunters, becoming a way more dangerous threat than would first appear.

While I'm slightly disapointed by the Chaos-heavy angle they went for the Space Beastmen, the overall execution of this Kill Team is still top-notch. Once again, the personality and flavour of each specialist is awsome to see and I especially love the gas-masked Toxhorn throwing gas grenades...

...Now stop being cowards and give us Beastmen Auxilia for the Militarum.

4. - Lictor:

10th Edition was heralded by the 4th Tyrannic War, and this included a new and updated range for the Tyranids. My favourite this year was the humble Lictor.

Lictors are terrifying Tyranid assassin's, known in infamy for being one of the deadliest bioforms the hive mind can bring to the table. They are expert hunters unbeaten in their field. They can lie motionless for days before striking a target, and have been documented to visibly stalk people to completely traumatise them. Their proboscis tentacles can suck out brains, and from that they gain the memories of their victims. These creatures are absolutely horrific.

I want to emphasize with the Lictor one of the things I love in a Warhammer sculpt, which is modeling options. The updated tyranid range gained some well deserved kits with a lot of fun options, including the Termagants gaining a boatload of weapon options. The Lictor is similar. While I love the updated look of what was an incredibly ancient kit, it also came with multiple posing options, including two different heads. I love the hunched down Lictor the most (not including the fact that Hive Fleet Behemoth is also the best paint scheme).

3. - Gorger Mawpack:

I screamed when these were revealed, as I've been waiting for them to redo the Gorgers since I first saw them.

Gorgers in their original iteration, were the forsaken and malnourished runts of Ogre society; abandoned inside the dark caverns of the Mountains of Mourn to become sacrifices for the Great Maw. The infants that survive their first few days try to survive by eating anything they can find in these pitch-black caves, which eventually leads to them consuming Warpstone.

In AoS, Gorgers are those unfortunate Ogors who have succumbed to the dreaded Empty Belly Curse; an affliction that destroys their guts and forbids them the joys of eating any food. Anything they try to eat tastes like ash and gives them no nourishment at all. They are basically endlessly starving.

This kit surpassed anything from my wildest imagination, as it is one of the best glow-ups of the century. They look more gnarly than their resin predecessor and the kit benefits from way more options. I also love how these could both fit the Old World and Age of Sigmar. I just wished their original background lore was still relevant in the Mortal Realms.

2. - Corpse Harvesting Party:

I've probably already said this, but Necromunda as a setting blows 40k out of the water, and the Corpse Harvesting Party is a prime example of that. It is such a great deep dive into the Imperium's horrid society, while also showcasing how diverse just one planet can be.

The Mercator Pallidus or Corpse Guild is the merchant guild associated with the collection of the dead, which they turn into a food-source called Corpse Starch. To do this, the guild sends out a corpse harvesting party to act like vultures in the Hive city, searching for freshly killed corpses to bring back to their processing plants.

It always excites me to see anything coming for Necromunda, since they always hit their mark. The Corpse Harvesting Party oozes personality and aesthetic brilliance, while also remaining consistent to the Imperium's overall design. I love how the Corpse Grinders in the retinue resemble their khornate counterparts, while the Bone Scrivener is just plain "Blanchian". I wonder if it's actually a Squat.

1. - Slann Starmaster:

2023 saw the refresh of a couple ranges, including Tyranids and the Flesh Eater Courts. However, my favourite of these refreshes was the Seraphon. The Old lizardmen gained a glow-up like no other, and their masters followed suit.

The Slann are creations of the Old Ones, and were spawned to aid in the development of the Great Plan. When the Old Ones disappear into the void, they become the regent rulers of the Lizardmen. They are the most powerful Sorcerers in Warhammer; being able to destroy mountains with a flick of their wrist.

During the End Times, the Lizardmen had to eventually flee the Warhammer World and flew off into space. Then, after eons of flying into nothingness, they would be guided to the Mortal Realms by Dracothion, and would recommence the Great Plan to eradicate Chaos from reality once and for all.

I truly believe this miniature deserves the win this year. It probably won't since Angron and Lion El'Johnson came out this year, but the Slann Starmaster trumps them both in sheer design and personality. I love the amount of options you can get with this kit as well, from the items the Slann itself carries, to the amount of Skinks you can add as a servant. You can even add a tiny Coatl to his stand, and doesn't that deserve the instant win?

______________________________________________________________

I really liked this year's releases. We gained a new edition of 40k with a splendid release of Tyranid models, while also gaining the refresh of multiple AoS ranges, with most of them being absolute bangers. We gained some great character models, from Vashtorr to Eternus, and the Kill Teams this year were some of the best.

Next year proves even more promising. The Old World is soon approaching and I can't wait to see what it brings. AoS is approaching its next edition, with potential Skaven releases to herald its arrival. I already have two new models I can add to next year's top 10, and both are vampiric in nature.

If I would wish for anything next year, it would be more Kill Teams for Xenos players and an update to the Clans Skryre for Skaven.

Anyways. I wish all of you a great holiday and winter season.

Until next year.

#warhammer #miniatures #games workshop #40k #fantasy #top 10 #Age of Sigmar #list #opinion

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