InterviewWD 287 · Inside cover
Paul Sawyer interviews Robin Dews about the first Warhammer Online project as its landscape and settlements begin to take shape. Flying along the Reik and through familiar Old World locations turns a printed map into an explorable environment. Dews describes the playable races and the development of Ogres, connecting their appearance to studio concept art. The editorial captures the project’s ambitions at this stage of development, before inviting readers to follow its new newsletter.
Warhammer OnlineWarhammer Fantasy Battles
CommunityWD 287 · pp. 2–3
The news pages introduce Liber Chaotica: Nurgle, a limited Ragnar Blackmane diorama and a competition for the Fire Warrior video game. The new Horus Heresy card game promises to explore the early Imperium through both play and artwork. Notices also record the forthcoming magazine price increase, changes to direct sales support and the results of an earlier film competition, alongside the month’s organised events.
Warhammer 40,000Warhammer Fantasy Battles
RulesWD 287 · pp. 6–7
Gav Thorpe explains a focused revision intended to make more of the Dark Elf miniature range viable without replacing the army book. The changes address underused troops and inconsistencies between models and rules: Warriors become cheaper, Executioners gain their visible armour, Cold One units receive different ways to manage unreliability, and the Black Guard’s hatred becomes more enduring. Notes on magic, assassins, the Cauldron and Beastmasters reveal why straightforward, memorable amendments were preferred over a larger redesign.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesDark Elves
TacticsWD 287 · pp. 8–9
Caillin Langmann shows how the revisions change the relationships between Dark Elf units. Less expensive Warriors supply ranks and expendable bait, freeing Corsairs, chariots and elite infantry to deliver coordinated attacks. Better-protected Executioners and Beastmasters gain more practical roles, while the Black Guard and Cauldron support a different kind of sustained fight. A companion account from Druchii.net describes the community’s year of discussion and testing with Gav Thorpe.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesDark Elves
ShowcaseWD 287 · pp. 10–15
Scott Goldstein’s award-winning Dark Elves mix contemporary sculpts with older metal cavalry and converted Daemonettes used as Harpies. Black and purple clothing, diamond patterns and painted skulls give the force a consistent identity, while ashen skin and amber eyes reinforce its sinister appearance. Captions explain the character of individual units and their conversions. A named army roster shows how the collection works together on the battlefield.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesDark Elves
CommunityWD 287 · pp. 18–19
Ian Huxley reports a day of Eye of Terror gaming at Waterstones in Manchester, where a cityfight table represents the threatened naval world of Vigilatum. A failed Cadian counter-offensive leads into a desperate defence of the administrative palace against proliferating Plague Zombies. Late Space Marine reinforcements finally rescue the defenders, although the fictional commander pays for his failures. The event combines campaign storytelling with demonstrations for newcomers in an unusual retail venue.
Warhammer 40,000Astra Militarum
LoreWD 287 · pp. 20–22
The profile links Catachan’s hostile ecology to the initiative and fieldcraft of its soldiers. Predatory plants and animals make daily survival a form of training, while accounts of river crossings, tunnel fighting and elaborate traps illustrate how that experience becomes a military advantage. Descriptions of traditional knives reinforce the regiment’s close-combat reputation. Its doctrine selection supplies a contemporary rules expression of an identity built around veterans and jungle warfare.
Warhammer 40,000Astra Militarum
LoreWD 287 · pp. 23–25
Armageddon’s industrial capacity makes mechanised infantry a defining feature of its regiments. The account of Colonel Kerschlact’s encircled force contrasts capable local leadership with disastrous higher orders, explaining the origin of the survivors’ battle cry. A second action shows a swift armoured intervention ending a planetary rebellion before it spreads. Notes on Chimeras, militia and General Kurov place those stories within the larger defence of the hive world.
Warhammer 40,000Astra Militarum
CampaignWD 287 · pp. 28–31
Dylan Owen concludes the campaign system with rules for hiring mercenary armies during winter. Paying less saves revenue but risks a smaller contingent or a revolt, and a rebelling force can even become a new player’s realm. He then considers how to finish a long campaign when its participants want a fresh start, using a great final alliance battle from an earlier campaign as his example. The emphasis stays on accommodating players and making the ending memorable.
Warhammer Fantasy Battles
CampaignWD 287 · p. 29
Gil Surepi traces the expansion of his Dwarf realm through successive campaign years, recording battles, discoveries and winter expenditure. Building towns and cities creates a second army, but disease, enemy invasions and a ruler’s injury interrupt the plan. The diary connects grudges and named commanders to the campaign map, showing how individual setbacks generate future objectives rather than merely reducing a score.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesDwarfs
CampaignWD 287 · p. 31
Matthew Ward describes a slow beginning against a stubborn Tomb King before successful raids expand Fellhallow into Chaos Dwarf territory. A temporary non-aggression pact buys time to build a second city and seek a ritual circle, but the diary makes clear how provisional such agreements can be. Choosing the next target means balancing potential gains against opponents the lightly built Wood Elves find difficult, giving strategic ambition a recognisable tabletop basis.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesWood Elves
FictionWD 287 · pp. 32–33
Graham McNeill concludes the story of the attack on Cadia as Imperial and Eldar ships try to stop the corrupted Blackstone Fortress. Eldrad enters its heart hoping to recover something of the Talisman’s former nature, while Creed’s soldiers face a devastating beam from orbit. The attempt ends in catastrophe for the farseer and the loss of Kasr Partox. Creed withdraws with his surviving troops, leaving vengeance and continued resistance as the only answers to defeat.
Warhammer 40,000Astra Militarum
CampaignWD 287 · pp. 34–43
Andy Chambers reviews the worldwide Eye of Terror campaign and declares a qualified victory for Chaos: the attackers have devastated the Cadian Gate, although Cadia and key Imperial positions still resist. He explains the control percentages, cascading effects, event cards and player organisation that let concentrated local efforts produce strategic consequences. The comparison with Armageddon shows why this campaign was designed to give coordinated groups more influence over the map.
Warhammer 40,000Astra Militarum
PreviewWD 287 · pp. 48–51
Sabertooth’s new card-game edition uses the Horus Heresy to explore the early Imperium, its Legions and institutions. Concept art and sample cards introduce Primarchs, Custodians, the Imperial Army and other forces whose appearance differs from their later counterparts. The feature describes collaboration with John Blanche and Alan Merrett, background on redemption cards and Ryan Miller’s faster, more interactive rules. Compatibility with earlier cards also permits battles outside the historical storyline.
Horus Heresy Collectible Card GameWarhammer 40,000
CommunityWD 287 · p. 52
Jervis Johnson explains the delay to Necromunda Magazine and the decision to skip a production slot while preserving subscribers’ full run of issues. New figures adapt the Redeemer comic’s characters to Necromunda and add the Thing in the Woods to Mordheim. The Vampire Blood Bowl team prompts a broader discussion of range size: future support will emphasise replacement miniatures for existing teams rather than continually adding new rosters.
NecromundaMordheimVampires
ModellingWD 287 · pp. 54–57
Steve Cumiskey asks Mark Jones to explain the awkward parts of assembling Leman Russ and Chimera kits. Dry fitting, careful trimming and a planned gluing sequence improve track units, hull joins, weapon housings and sponsons without replacing the kit instructions. Decisions about moving weapons and an interior affect the build from the outset. Accessories and a textured mud mixture then demonstrate the difference between a clean factory vehicle and one visibly used in the field.
Warhammer 40,000Astra Militarum
PaintingWD 287 · pp. 58–59
Mark Jones builds a temperate camouflage pattern with diagonal green and brown bands, using the hull to align the turret’s markings. Successive drybrushes lighten each colour while leaving dark divisions between them. Mud receives different tones on the tracks and hull, with gloss varnish suggesting wet areas. Rust, exhaust staining and worn metal finish the tank, linking the paint treatment to the constructed weathering shown earlier in the feature.
Warhammer 40,000Astra Militarum9 paint colours
PreviewWD 287 · pp. 62–65
A visit to Forge World surveys resin models across several scales, from a huge Dragon and Chaos War Mammoth to spacecraft and Epic armour. The Lucius-pattern Warhound’s detailed interior and a range of themed Dreadnoughts illustrate the studio’s approach to specialist kits. Captions identify sculptors and dimensions, while the overview explains the small production runs and direct availability that distinguish these models from the main Citadel range.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesWarhammer 40,000Astra Militarum
PreviewWD 287 · p. 64
The book preview describes a detailed reference to Imperial vehicles and aircraft, combining technical drawings, colour profiles, background and gaming material. An Armoured Battle Group list, specialised ammunition and named tank aces expand the ways a collection can be used. Appendices cover aircraft, super-heavy vehicles and the conventions behind camouflage and numbering, making the publication a setting resource as well as a source of additional rules.
Warhammer 40,000Astra Militarum
FictionWD 287 · pp. 66–69
Pete Haines follows Inquisitor Nathan Flintlock’s investigation into missing stars and a devastating Necron attack on an Imperial observatory. A mission to Seneschal reveals an immense tomb world and evidence of a star god being revived, but the Mechanicus expert’s fascination jeopardises the means to destroy it. The Cadian Firebrands must hold the tomb entrance while Deathwatch recover the necessary arming codes. The account frames their sacrifice against the Inquisition’s ruthless judgement of what the mission requires.
Warhammer 40,000Astra Militarum
RulesWD 287 · pp. 70–71
A small Cadian platoon holds a tomb entrance against Necron Warriors that return through Sustained Assault. The defenders cannot win by exterminating the attackers; they must prevent a unit leaving the tomb long enough for the mission to succeed. Suggested platoon assembly links the scenario to a manageable set of kits, and modelling perks reward extra grenades or a converted sergeant. Simple household terrain represents the narrow exit and a pillared area with deliberately asymmetric visibility rules.
Warhammer 40,000Astra Militarum
ModellingWD 287 · pp. 72–73
Four modellers reinterpret the Chaos Giant in distinct ways. Jakob Nielsen reshapes a berserker with putty rather than many added components, while Mike Anderson uses mutation to suggest pain and a loss of control. Mark Tait creates a bestial giant from Albion, Minotaur and Spawn parts, and Andy Brown changes a pose and adds classic Chaos details. The short explanations show how a clear character concept guides conversion choices on a large centrepiece.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesWarriors of Chaos
Battle reportWD 287 · pp. 76–95
Rob Lane’s High Elves defend a small Ulthuan settlement against John Dale’s Dark Elves in a pitched battle that tests the revised army rules. Both players bring balanced, story-led forces and plans based on supporting infantry with shooting and mobile units. An early High Elf miscast and persistent Chill Wind disrupt Rob’s firepower, while character-mounted Cold One Chariots create threats his battle line struggles to contain.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesHigh Elves
ReviewWD 287 · pp. 107–109
Che Webster examines the new boxed game from its miniatures and terrain through to the rules manual. Distinct warrior poses, ruined masonry and usable maps accompany a book that expands beyond the film’s central battles. He highlights the War of the Ring scenarios, hobby section and community introduction as sources of depth for returning players as well as a starting point for newcomers.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameGondor
InterviewWD 287 · pp. 110–115
Alessio Cavatore explains the third rules manual’s changes in terms of clearer play and the available miniatures. Faster Orcs, revised spear support, cavalry clarifications, monstrous mounts, reusable throwing weapons and banner effects each address a specific problem or desired battlefield role. Changes to profiles and equipment bring characters from the earlier games into a more consistent collection, while full siege treatment is left for a supplement.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game
RulesWD 287 · p. 116
Street fighting inside the first circle of Minas Tirith pits Gandalf and the defenders against the Witch-king’s force. Burning buildings funnel the action into the open, and victory goes to the first side that reduces its opponent to a quarter strength. A late chance of hearing the Rohirrim’s horns can force the Witch-king to leave, giving the battle a connection to events outside the walls. A points-match option allows different forces to attempt the same encounter.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameGondor
Battle reportWD 287 · pp. 116–126
Matthew Ward’s defenders face Alessio Cavatore’s more numerous Orcs and Easterlings in the streets of the White City. Gandalf’s duel with the Witch-king becomes the dramatic centre of the game, but it also absorbs troops who might have reduced the enemy’s numbers. Even banishing the Ringwraith does not rescue Gondor: pressure on the flanks and attrition among the Fountain Court Guard eventually break the defence. The final discussion returns to the mission’s casualty objective and the cost of concentrating too heavily on an enemy character.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameGondor
RulesWD 287 · p. 127
Alessio Cavatore answers early questions and corrects references in the new manual. Topics include throwing weapons during charges, volley-fire groups, monstrous mounts, passengers, mounted Elven blades and the King of the Dead’s power. Further answers clarify armour, scenario equipment, deployment maps and board measurements. The collection is especially useful for distinguishing intentional profile choices from typographical errors in the first printing.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game
RulesWD 287 · pp. 128–129
David Smith continues the Nine’s journey with a night crossing of the Isen. The Ringwraiths begin concealed from distant sentries, but once detected they face a growing and unpredictably arriving Rohan force. Enough wraiths must escape to continue the search for the Ring. Campaign instructions carry over their remaining Will from Osgiliath, making resource conservation matter across the series rather than resetting every character between battles.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameRohan
PaintingWD 287 · p. 130
The Aragorn guide develops a weathered face and dark coat through controlled layers and thin ink glazes. Pale flesh highlights establish the expression, while brown hair and beard frame it without a sharp change of colour. The coat mixes brown and green before grey highlights and dark washes tie it together; drybrushed dirt along the hem gives the travelling ranger an appropriately worn finish.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameThe Fellowship11 paint colours
PaintingWD 287 · p. 131
A softer transition between flesh colours distinguishes Éowyn’s face, with a thin glaze smoothing the highlights before the eyes and lips are finished. Her leather armour combines darker and lighter brown panels separated by a fine black line. Red edging and pale highlights add definition without losing that distinction between the different leather pieces, showing how careful outlining can make small costume details readable.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameRohan11 paint colours
PaintingWD 287 · p. 131
Legolas’s fair hair is built from a muted khaki base and fine pale lines, with a final glaze joining the strands into a natural-looking whole. The quiver uses warmer brown and bone highlights to suggest its surface texture. Gold ornaments receive a small silver-enriched highlight, creating bright detail that remains distinct from both the leather and the hair.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameThe Fellowship7 paint colours
PaintingWD 287 · p. 132
Merry’s red leather armour begins with a dark brown-red base and progresses through warmer layers concentrated on the edges. A thin brown glaze brings those highlights together before gold details are added. The shield uses separate brown lines to suggest wood grain, followed by another glaze, giving the Hobbit’s equipment distinct materials within a compact warm palette.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameThe Fellowship8 paint colours
PaintingWD 287 · p. 132
Pippin’s Gondorian armour uses darkened metal with a black ink wash, then restored metallic layers and highlights. His cloak is handled separately with a green-black-grey mixture, progressively lightened only on its folds and edges. The contrast between polished armour and muted cloth helps the small Hobbit read clearly among taller soldiers without requiring an unrelated bright colour.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameThe Fellowship5 paint colours
PaintingWD 287 · p. 133
Faramir’s metal armour progresses from a dark wash through brighter layers, with silver reserved for the sharpest edges. Black ornamental lining and gold helmet bands distinguish the decoration from the surrounding steel. A separate demonstration builds a white cloth border from two mirrored wavy lines, and the advice on bracing hands and elbows makes the fine freehand work easier to control.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameGondor7 paint colours
PaintingWD 287 · p. 134
Gandalf’s light robes are developed from a warm brown foundation rather than a flat white base. Ink reinforces the deepest folds before bone and white layers establish their volume, preserving a clear shadow structure. His hands and face use the same brown as an underlayer, followed by flesh mixtures, keeping the exposed skin warm enough to remain distinct from the pale clothing.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameThe Fellowship5 paint colours
PaintingWD 287 · p. 134
Gimli’s cloak combines green, grey and black with pale highlights, a dark ink glaze and dust along the lower edge. His axe is treated as several materials: red-wrapped grip, wooden shaft, brass ornament and brighter cutting edge. Fine lines and successive metallic layers define those surfaces before a brown glaze unifies the handle, making a small weapon as carefully resolved as the larger cloth areas.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameThe Fellowship14 paint colours
PaintingWD 287 · p. 135
Éomer’s armour is divided into recessed steel and raised red leather, with narrow black lines increasing the contrast between them. Pale highlights and a thin brown glaze finish the leather without losing its rich colour. The helmet receives separate steel and gold treatments, while layered greys define the horsetail, giving each part of the ornate equipment its own material character.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameRohan10 paint colours
Imprint confirms November 2003, issue 287. The advertised “A Tale of Good & Evil” does not appear as a feature in this scan. Main articles, substantial rules and the individually titled Heroes of the West tutorials are indexed; catalogues, directories, advertisements and art-only pages are excluded.
