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INTERVIEW·WHITE DWARF 318

Cities of Death: Designer’s Notes

June 2006·pp. 23–27

THE SHORT VERSION

Andy Hoare explains how Cities of Death creates a distinctive urban game while retaining the existing Warhammer 40,000 rules. Unlike the earlier Cityfight approach, the predictable dimensions of the new plastic buildings let normal templates, coherency and movement do much of the work. Players then select a small number of stratagems to shape their own methods of fighting, from prepared positions to deployment tricks, with missions and hobby material supporting a themed battlefield without requiring an entirely new army.

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Find this article in White Dwarf 318, pp. 23–27.

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EditorialWD 318 · Inside cover

Editorial: Cities of Death

Grombrindal introduces a month of warfare among the buildings that embody the power and wealth of the Imperium. His enthusiasm centres on the new modular ruins: a city can now grow from a few manageable pieces into a substantial battlefield, giving the urban rules and the modeller’s imagination something practical to work with.

Warhammer 40,000
June 2006Read summary
CommunityWD 318 · pp. 18–19

From the Webway…

The forthcoming Eldar release is previewed through an expanded range of Aspect Warriors, vehicles and leaders. Plastic Dire Avengers, War Walkers and Wraithlords sit alongside revised Fire Dragons and Howling Banshees, while the Autarch promises a new way to represent a commander shaped by the warrior paths. The feature presents the plans for the October codex and miniatures rather than supplying their eventual rules.

Warhammer 40,000Aeldari
June 2006Read summary
InterviewWD 318 · pp. 28–33

Building the Future

Dave Andrews describes the design decisions behind the interchangeable city buildings, from a recognisably Gothic architectural language to floor heights and openings that leave models accessible during play. The team first imagined intact structures and then worked out how to ruin them convincingly; digital design and shared floor and accessory frames made three distinct building styles compatible. The result aims to make constructing and storing a useful gaming city much easier than assembling a collection of elaborate scratch-built showpieces.

Warhammer 40,000
June 2006Read summary