WHITE DWARF · NOVEMBER 2013
Dark Elves, Triumph & Treachery and six new effect paints lead an issue of multiplayer battles, conversions, display painting and Heresy-era collecting.
COVER TO COVER
In printed page order
Jes introduces a second wave of Dark Elves and the multiplayer Triumph & Treachery expansion. Five rival armies put its diplomacy and betrayal to the test. Six new paints provide another practical focus through detailed demonstrations. A studio painting challenge and converted Space Marine leaders broaden the issue’s hobby coverage.
Cursed sorcerers must replenish their failing souls through sacrifice to escape Slaanesh. The plastic riders express that fate through hollow eyes, ragged hair and crude blades. A masked Master adds an especially disturbing focal point. The review connects the figures to Malekith’s prophecy and the outlawed male sorcerers of Hag Graef.
Scouts carry spears, shields and holstered crossbows beneath concealing scarves. Their saddle equipment suggests long independent patrols beyond friendly lines. Helmeted, bare and cowled heads offer varied personalities, while the Herald can carry an axe or crossbow. Branded, emaciated steeds reinforce the cruelty of their masters.
Skull masks conceal the identities of the executioners while their two-handed draichs make their purpose clear. All wield the weapons left-handed, an unusual choice that helps distinguish the regiment. Cloaks disguise the kit’s assembly joins. Ten figures include command options and an amphora-like drum decorated with crossed blades.
Malekith’s guards share a kit with the Executioners but gain a more imposing silhouette from tall collars, plumes and heavy cloaks. Their armour bears the rune of sacrifice. A gesturing Tower Master can carry a halberd or sword. The notice explains how pose and equipment separate the two elite infantry roles.
A single-wheeled hunting platform carries a harpoon weapon and racks of barbed spears. Its lightly armoured crew includes a driver with reins and whip. An alternative High Beastmaster adds a sea-dragon cloak. Scarred horses and specialised tools give the machine a convincing role in capturing dangerous beasts.
The Witch King’s armoured charioteers ride a vessel shaped like a ship travelling across land. Blades and a single wheel replace the familiar paired-wheel silhouette. Riders have alternative heads and spear, sword or pick options. The review presents its noble crews as a more heavily equipped counterpart to the hunting chariot.
Coral-like armour, a sea-dragon cloak and a serrated replacement leg mark the Fleetmaster as a veteran raider. His collar resembles a sea creature’s jaws. Seaweed and shells extend that identity onto the base. The figure exaggerates the nautical equipment already familiar from Black Ark Corsairs.
Grombrindal becomes a vampire hunter in Witch Hunter clothing. His hammer, stake and runic equipment face a Goblin vampire rising from a coffin. Broken furniture and a goblet of blood turn the base into a small comic scene. The preview explains the jokes and narrative details within the annual miniature.
A slipcased expansion brings three to five armies into battles of shifting alliances and bribes. Treachery cards, player cards and Imperial-style coins make its social decisions tangible. Historical examples and three detailed encounters connect the system to the Old World. The review stresses accessible rules and mercenaries as ways to include an uneven gaming group.
The hardback supplement follows the Luna Wolves and Sons of Horus into Abaddon’s Black Legion. A timeline and varied warbands show how that identity develops beyond a single former Legion. Scenarios, miniature galleries and Kai Lim’s artwork support collecting ideas. The notice follows the earlier digital release with a physical edition.
A limited presentation set combines the Chaos Space Marines, Chaos Daemons and Black Legion books with an art folio. Separate mandala illustrations form a larger image when placed together. A matte case unifies the four volumes. The notice records the elaborate packaging and worldwide run of five hundred copies.
The first twelve Army of the Month features are collected in a hardback gallery. Extra photographs expand the coverage beyond their magazine appearances. Mark Bedford’s Blood Angels provide the cover image. The collection is presented as a source of army-scale inspiration and modelling ideas.
The campaign places Abaddon’s invasion of Pythos against Imperial Guard, Dark Angels and Grey Knights. Nineteen Apocalypse datasheets support its battles across a death world. Ship details, campaign badges and character material broaden the military setting. A four-page appendix adds further background such as Catachan blades and the opposing fleets.
Six paints offer distinct surface effects rather than ordinary flat coverage. Glossy blood and translucent slime suit wounds and monsters, while gritty corrosion and orange drybrush paint work together on rust. A pale wash creates verdigris on copper alloys. Crackle paint forms dry ground and can also suggest baked mud on vehicles.
A cabinet stores one hundred and forty-four paints in six drawers. Reversible labels and stickers allow collectors to reorganise the contents to suit their own working order. The range includes ordinary painting stages and three technical products. Those individual products are not named in the notice, so their identities are not inferred.
Five themed dice sets cover the four Chaos gods and a mixed collection. Each contains ordinary dice together with artillery and scatter dice. The container itself resembles a black die bearing the Chaos star. Marbled colours distinguish the god-specific versions without changing their basic gaming purpose.
Green canvas and Imperial Guard markings give the carrying bag a regimental appearance. Its central space holds a figure case and books, with side pockets for smaller gaming tools. Humorous supply instructions warn against misuse. Tanith and Chaos badges allow a choice of allegiance for the owner’s travelling equipment.
A Riptide leads six Broadside battlesuits in a substantial heavy-firepower collection. All seven plastic models offer varied weapons and support systems. Those choices let the force concentrate on infantry or armoured targets. The notice presents it as a way to add ranged strength rather than printing a formation datasheet.
A Wraithknight, two Wraithlords and fifteen Wraithguard form a collection of spirit-driven warriors. Alternative weapons include ranged wraithcannons and close-combat ghostglaives. The notice connects this reliance on the dead to the Eldar’s declining population. Its focus is the modelling collection rather than new rules.
A Stormraven and two Stormtalons create an airborne strike group. The transport carries elite troops while its escorts protect the approach. Three plastic aircraft provide the bundle’s complete contents. The short review emphasises rapid arrival and the visual impact of a coordinated flight.
Ten monsters give a Chaos collection a very different silhouette from ranked warriors. A Slaughterbrute and Giant stand beside six Dragon Ogres and two Spawn. Their warped forms connect the models to the northern wastes. The bundle is introduced as a concentrated addition of muscle to an existing force.
A Fleetmaster leads twenty Dreadspears and twenty Corsairs into a large raiding collection. Five Cold One Knights add noble cavalry. The included chariot can become either a Scourgerunner or Cold One vehicle. The review links the mixed force to Naggaroth’s constant preparation for war and overseas plunder.
A Wight King commands twenty Skeleton Warriors, ten Grave Guard and five mounted undead. The cavalry can be built as Black Knights or Hexwraiths. All models are plastic, giving the collection several modelling paths. Its common theme is an army whose tireless ranks outlast the living.
A Necromancer gathers twenty Ghouls and three Crypt Horrors around a Garden of Morr. The larger creatures can alternatively become Vargheists. Scenery makes the collection useful as both a force and a themed setting. The notice highlights the degenerate inhabitants of graveyards under an undead master’s control.
Two Firestorm Redoubts, a Vengeance Weapon Battery and an Aquila Strongpoint create a heavily armed defensive position. Imperial Defence Emplacements connect the larger structures through compatible breastworks. The review identifies anti-aircraft and anti-infantry weapon options. Together the components can secure a continuous stretch of battlefield.
Guilliman attempts to preserve humanity from Macragge while the Ruinstorm conceals the fate of Terra. His plan depends on other Primarchs who cannot be sure of one another’s loyalty. Adam praises the convincing portrayal of these rulers and the speed of the revelations. The novel brings together threads from several earlier Heresy stories.
Chris Wraight continues the War of Vengeance from the Elven side rather than retelling the previous novel. Imladrik’s military obligations compete with political rivalry at home. Stranded Dark Elves work to deepen the conflict and release a dangerous captive. Andrew praises the interwoven viewpoints and their relationship to Nick Kyme’s earlier book.
The first Gotrek and Felix collection returns in the Classics range with new cover art. Seven linked stories establish the pair’s oath, history and contrasting personalities. Dan values the mixture of violence, humour and detailed character development. His accompanying recommendation points readers towards the continuing rivalry with Thanquol in Skavenslayer.
Gaunt’s Ghosts confront both Chaos and treachery within Imperial politics. Adam finds the dialogue and individual soldiers as important as the military action. He also credits the novel with shaping the familiar vocabulary of later Imperial Guard fiction. The Classics reissue is presented as an influential starting point for Black Library’s forty-first-millennium novels.
Uriel Ventris’s first mission as Fourth Company captain begins as an escort assignment on Pavonis. Insurrection and Dark Eldar interference expose a more dangerous purpose. Dan particularly remembers the grim experiments and the confrontation with the Nightbringer. Ventris’s uneasy relationship with the Codex Astartes gives the action a lasting personal conflict.
Aeonid Thiel and an ordinary Imperial Army soldier face a Word Bearers conspiracy below Calth. Radiation forces the remaining combatants into underground arcologies. Adam praises the relationship between the unconventional Ultramarine and Raud, whose vulnerability changes their partnership. Voice acting and sound effects carry the rapidly moving audio drama.
The Iron Hands supplement follows Kardan Stronos’s company and its conflict with the Sapphire King. History, a timeline and miniature material support the Chapter’s background. Warlord Traits and relics accompany Apocalypse, Planetstrike, Cities of Death and Altar of War content. The page describes the interactive digital publication rather than reproducing its additional rules.
The Sisters of Battle codex joins shorter electronic reference series. Munitorum covers weapons and equipment, while Index Chaotica explores engines, daemons and the Eye of Terror. Fabius Bile and Khârn receive Warlords profiles. The notice outlines this month’s subjects and compatible formats without treating external electronic articles as magazine content.
The solitary board game returns as a video game for mobile devices. Its warrior races the clock while fighting mutants, zombies and other invaders in New York. The notice recalls the original game’s unusual single-player design. Computer versions are announced as later releases rather than content included in this issue.
The Sicaran occupies a middle ground between the Predator and Land Raider. Raised rear tracks, sloping frontal armour and a prominent turret create its distinctive shape. A sophisticated targeting system feeds the twin Herakles accelerator autocannons. Alternative lascannon and heavy-bolter sponsons extend the resin kit’s weapon choices.
Duncan depicts the Legion just before Davin, still noble despite the ominous Eye of Horus. Loken and Abaddon embody the division that his growing collection will eventually reflect. Grey layers glazed green create the ghostly armour, while black First Company units foreshadow the Black Legion. Cataphractii, support squads and a substantial vehicle pool turn that theme into an army.
Jervis weighs the physical pleasure of templates against their occasional rules ambiguities. Replacing them with random hit counts proved clear but lost both positioning consequences and tactile appeal. The articulated Apocalypse Barrage marker revisits his favourite Thudd Gun design. For him, evocative equipment helps explain why miniature gaming feels different from more abstract forms of play.
Five armies contest the Valley of Sorcery through bribery, mercenaries and shifting targets. Duncan’s early Bretonnian lead gives way as his knights and Jes’s Ogres destroy each other. Adam’s Dark Elves survive long enough to exploit the weakened forces and finish with the largest paychest. A round-table discussion explains how spending victory tokens can both secure an advantage and endanger the final score.
Adam explains extra mercenary allowances, randomly ordered player turns and choosing a single enemy in each phase. Treachery cards keep all players involved outside their own turns. Victory points become tokens that can also be spent on bribes or special effects. The explanation supplies a useful introduction to the expansion, while leaving its complete rules in the separate book.
Six objectives each offer a final bonus in the multiplayer battlefield. The players alternate placing units and keep each entire force within one board tile. Enemy exclusion distances make deployment a tactical contest before the first turn. Duncan’s crowded position even forces his Pegasus Knights into reserve.
Dave Thomas nominates Ahriman as a rewarding subject for both intricate detail and broad painted cloth. Jes Goodwin explains how staff, robe and armour instantly combine sorcerer and Space Marine identities. Separate head, backpack and weapon components create depth through the composition. Both recall the rich period of character design that produced the enduring miniature.
Mark presents an undead host around a Vampire Lord on Zombie Dragon. Spare figures add further spirits around the Mortis Engine, whose blue glow contrasts with green flames. Mannfred becomes a rider for an Abyssal Terror. The display combines the army’s largest monsters with carefully varied supernatural effects.
Nico fills his fortress display with altered engines and characters. A tracked creation combines Thunderfire Cannon running gear with a Forgefiend exhaust and servo-held book. A Chaos Decimator provides the principal heavy model. The Heldrake gains magical fire from a Burning Chariot, extending the conversion theme into the air.
Peter’s display combines precise recesses for infantry bases with extensively weathered vehicles. Glowing weapons and lenses add controlled points of light. An eagle head from the Shrine of the Aquila transforms the Storm Eagle’s nose. That conversion echoes the Legion’s special right to wear the aquila.
A Tervigon presides over a display of emerging alien creatures. Slippery green material beneath it reinforces the spawning theme. The Trygon’s base merges into the board as though the monster is burrowing out. A Hive Tyrant balances on the long winged tail to suggest a forward leap.
Neil Reed builds narrative terrain inspired by Dave Andrews, Blanche’s artwork and video-game maps. Fellixus IV combines convincing ice with playable habitation units made from drainpipes. Yggdrassillium evokes ruined splendour within the wandering Arkke. Multiple routes, modular transport sections and the relationship between figures and scenery are as important as its striking appearance.
Glenn piles ceremonial details onto his commander to distinguish him from ordinary troops. A Sternguard crest and servo-skull complement the Vanguard power axe. Longer Grey Knight purity seals suggest movement along the blade. An additional Chapter symbol on the banner finishes the deliberately elaborate silhouette.
Mike preserves the original character sculpt’s stance and decoration. A Blood Angels helmet provides the principal change. Rotating the head aligns the gaze with the sword blade. The example shows how a small alteration can personalise a commander without rebuilding the model.
Swapping both arms changes the Chaplain’s equipment and balance. A Sanguinary Guard arm carries the crozius in the opposite hand. A Death Company hand flamer replaces the other weapon. Removing the original arm requires a small repair to a purity seal.
A Sternguard body becomes a Librarian through Grey Knight components. Arms, head, weapon and rear torso fit the new character role. Keith adds flexible armour ribbing to support a hand posed in psychic action. The conversion uses compatible plastic detail to make the change look natural.
Keith combines Sternguard and Vanguard parts for a weathered-looking officer. Choosing a tough bare head establishes age and authority. Careful posing then makes the figure appear to command rather than simply stand in line. The example relies on existing kit details instead of extensive sculpture.
Tactical armour and a Vanguard pistol form the basis of Kornel’s captain. A Grey Knight sword impaling a daemon head stresses trophy-taking and hunting. A clipped Space Wolf Terminator belt adds further trophies. The unusual combination makes the Chapter’s character visible through equipment.
Mark changes a familiar commander through a bare Blood Angels head and a Vanguard thunder hammer. The head’s sideways angle redirects the character’s attention. These few components create a notably different silhouette from the neighbouring examples. The model adds another individual officer to his growing Astral Claws collection.
Mike invents a Chapter to fight beside his Black Templars and gives its captain an imposing paired-fist pose. At least one component comes from each of the recent Marine kits. Sternguard upper-body detail combines with Tactical legs and fists from two sources. The resulting stance unifies a deliberately varied assortment of parts.
A new veteran joins Mike’s largest Marine army with a different weapon pairing. Sternguard, Vanguard and Tactical components build the figure. Its pose recalls Blanche’s second-edition cover illustration. The example translates a remembered piece of artwork into a practical kit conversion.
Mark depicts the Astral Claws before their fall with a noble bearded officer. A Space Wolf pelt becomes a lion cloak through added sculpted fur. Spare Lugft Huron detail and a Tartaros shield reinforce the heraldry. A Sanguinary Guard axe loses its blood-drop symbols to fit the different Chapter.
Aidan concentrates on smooth flesh and a deliberately uncluttered finish. Different painted textures make the front cloth appear silky while the reverse looks coarser. Makeup and subtle facial tones reward close inspection. A marbled plinth, skull and candles suggest a small ritual scene.
Darren revisits the colours of an earlier converted Farseer on Jes Goodwin’s newer sculpt. A staff head replaces the singing spear. Broad cloth becomes a canvas for fine freehand patterns, with glowing runes and a carefully blended gemstone as focal points. The scenic base is integrated into a larger display.
David’s favourite Chaos Lord becomes an exercise in strong reflections and non-metallic metal. A small sculpted nose ring accentuates the bestial face. Freehand Chaos stars decorate both sides of the cloak. Wood putty and spare skulls extend the supplied base onto a plinth.
Steve uses cream and deep red to place the brooding character in his Blood Ravens army. A new Tactical helmet tilts into a disdainful gaze. A simpler Assault backpack keeps the focus on the figure while making room for seals and an Iron Halo. Tiny metallic scratches finish the axe blade.
Maxime converts a plastic Farseer into a hovering guide for ghost warriors. A column of bones linked to the staff supports the fragile figure. Mottled helmet colours and scattered stars make it appear spectral. The macabre staff decoration connects the character to the dark theme of his Eldar collection.
Kornel challenges himself to paint the Lord’s swollen flesh blue rather than a familiar sickly hue. The Fang begins the skin, with blended highlights and coloured recess shades. Green armour contrasts with the blue and muted pustules. Textured putty on the display plinth adds a further rough surface.
Maxime paints the Priest as a gift to its sculptor, Alex Hedström. Vivid feathers frame an old, wizened face and pale limbs. Dark scales provide a strong contrast, while touches of red make joints appear more natural. He keeps the sculpt unchanged so the painting celebrates its original character.
Simon gives the Fireblade an older face through cool recess tones. Splinter camouflage decorates the weapon, shoulder and cloak. Tiny Tau script rewards attention around the bonding knife and robe edge. A restrained glow beneath the collar adds a small lighting effect to the military finish.
Dan and Matt use the same drybrushed silver armour to unite two different elite regiments. Purple cloth and plumes give the Black Guard a regal identity, while red capes and bone masks distinguish the Executioners. Carefully layered cloth contrasts with the rougher metal finish. Gold details complete the shared approach without making every surface look alike.
Andrew combines a gritty brown wash with orange dry paint to model neglected metal. A garden latch supplies a useful real-world reference for the placement of rust. Drybrushing gives light corrosion, while stippling builds heavier patches. A final silver drybrush restores exposed edges on the Renegade equipment.
Jes applies glossy red paint to Ogres in three different patterns. Smearing a loaded gutplate creates dragged blood, while thin strokes on a blade imply slashes. Flicking a loaded drybrush produces impact splatter across a club and shoulder. Extra paint at selected edges suggests fresh pooling rather than an even red coating.
Adam uses translucent glossy green to make mouths, wounds and slime pits appear wet. Strong colours beneath the paint remain partly visible once it sets. Sloped surfaces need controlled layers because the viscous material can still run. River Trolls and Plaguebearers demonstrate the effect on different kinds of unhealthy detail.
Dan compares thin and thick layers of crackle paint on bases. A brown undercoat remains visible through the dried cracks, with thicker application producing larger divisions. Painting before attaching low-robed figures improves access. The same effect can suggest mud baked onto tank tracks and lower hulls.
Andrew treats copper-alloy decay differently from iron rust. A blue-green wash settles into recesses and leaves a pale patina over the surrounding surface. Reapplying metallic paint restores selected areas where the original copper should show. A Death Guard Marine and Leigh Woosey’s Sartosan Vampire illustrate combinations of the new effects.
Jeremy records finished miniatures to understand his own progress rather than race other painters. Rapid early Hobbit batches give way to slower Tau camouflage and interruptions from everyday life. He describes the pleasure of adding a final figure to a completed unit. The journal becomes a reminder that regular habits matter more than projecting an exceptional month across an entire year.
Triumph & Treachery motivates a fresh round of army building in the office. Adam begins Savage Orcs, Andrew adds Beastmen and Matt divides his painting between Dark Elves and Zombies. Mel’s first personal miniature is a carefully finished River Troll. Other projects range from Angels of Absolution to larger Tau and Eldar forces.
Dan and Jes bring the Agrellan Refinery board to Enter the Citadel and meet readers. On the following day their Tau and Eldar alliance wins every Battle Brothers game. Dan’s carefully detailed Wraithknight earns a painting certificate. The report also explains the magazine’s production delay: these July activities appear in the November issue.
Steve Buddle starts from the Dreadspears to design two kinds of elite infantry. Taller collars and heavy cloaks make the Black Guard imposing without enlarging their bodies. Turning the same basic figure changes the cape’s prominence and creates the Executioners’ aggressive stance. Left-handed weapons and anonymous masks complete that contrast.
Oliver Norman imagines Dark Elf chariots as fast land yachts inspired by Greek galleys. Their riders counterbalance the single wheel like racing sailors or motorcyclists. Lighter armour and abundant weapons identify the Scourgerunner as a hunting flanker. The Cold One version instead becomes a low-running mainline vehicle with an eye symbol on its prow.
Mike Anderson uses jockey poses and billowing cloth to give Dark Riders speed. High collars connect them visually to other clandestine Elves. Cruelly altered horses and soulless eyes make their masters’ treatment visible. For the Warlocks, straggling hair and crude weapons replace disciplined equipment with signs of degeneration.
Brian Nelson develops the Fleetmaster for collectors who build around Corsairs. Dreadfleet imagery helps him exaggerate nautical trophies into something grotesque. Shadowblade takes the opposite approach, relying on plain equipment and a highly dynamic plastic pose. The contrast lets each character’s role emerge immediately from the sculpt.
Jervis explains how Pete Foley’s uneven gaming groups prompted a free-for-all expansion. Fun, clarity and a recognisably Warhammer setting guide the rule changes. Random turn order and cards prevent idle waiting, while mercenaries expand collecting possibilities. Physical victory tokens grow naturally from the idea of paying opponents and troops.
Leigh Woosey connects the expansion’s coins to historical Old World currency. Brass pennies include a hole for placing them in a dead person’s eye socket. Silver shillings carry Marienburg imagery, while crowns and Altdorf ingots represent far greater wealth. Older roleplaying sources help turn game counters into small pieces of setting detail.
Phil Stutcinskas develops a siege tank matching the established Deimos vehicle family. An early mock-up establishes the overall shape before a more detailed master is built. Rounded hatches, sights and reinforced plates refine its identity. The preview shows an unfinished project rather than a fully released kit or rules profile.
Will Hayes previews a boarding craft capable of gripping a ship’s hull. Melta cutters burn an entry point for the troops inside. Thrusters and anti-gravity systems also sustain atmospheric flight. Retractable-leg missile launchers remain the next unfinished stage of the model.
Dan Abnett explores why apparently inactive factions needed their own part in the Heresy narrative. Guilliman’s talent for empire building makes his contingency plan plausible but politically dangerous. The Ruinstorm leaves brothers unable to verify each other’s allegiance or Terra’s survival. Abnett describes the novel as a junction between earlier stories and new directions, with loyalty complicated by each Primarch’s ambitions.
All substantive reviews, multiplayer battle and scenario explanations, army and painting showcases, individual character conversions, Paint Splatter guides, staff projects and design interviews are indexed. Image-only directory and advertising pages were visually inspected; routine listings, calendars, store directories, external digital content and the closing quotation are excluded.