While we’re still getting used to playing with The Gorechosen of Dromm, Games Workshop have just unveiled their next core box, Gnarlwood, over on Warhammer Community.
Unlike previous season releases, there weren’t may teasers in advance, so this is all new information right now. Here’s what we know.
As expected, this boxed set features two new warbands. First up is the Gnarlspirit Pack, a group of 4 Darkoath inspired fighters, who put the Godsworn Hunt to shame.
Sarrakkar Blackwing is our warband leader and a shaman, while the other three fighters are armed with different weapons, meaning there should be plenty of offensive capability.
We don’t know much about their cards just yet, but Games Workshop have assured us that the warband can “let their bestial nature take over for even greater strength, before calming back down to Inspire on the spot.”
If the Gnarlspirit Pack look like a new and improved version of the Godsworn Hunt, then you might consider Sons of Velmorn to be the thematic successor to the Sepulchral Guard.
But that doesn’t mean they will play the same. From what we’ve seen of the leader King Morlak Velmorn’s card, his inspiration is strongly tied to critical hits and support, and a reaction that grants him Command counters.
We can’t help but feel that both of these warbands are a love letter to some of the game’s older warbands which just can’t keep up with the current meta, which should catch the attention of both old fans who’ve played them to death and new fans who’ve never had a chance.
Recently we’ve seen a rise in the game’s focus on the Rivals format, and the new Gnarlwood box seems set to double down on that once again. As well as the Rivals decks for each warband there are also two additional Rivals decks in the box, labelled ‘Tooth and Claw’ and ‘Daring Delvers’. At the moment we can only guess what sort of playstyle those form, but it sounds like the latter could be linked to the ‘Delve’ mechanic, and involve some heavy use of feature tokens.
If that wasn’t enough, the reveal is rounded out with an eerie illustration of the gnarlwood, with what looks to be a group of adventurers straight from the Cities of Sigmar. Could this be a hint at warbands to come? Only time (or Games Workshop) will tell.
Did you enjoy this article? You could always tip the author with a coffee (or something stronger). If you want to pick up Harrowdeep or Nethermaze while you wait for the Gnarlroot release date then check out Element Games. They have great deals on warbands and a wide range of Warhammer and accessories. Finally, make sure you’re following us on Instagram to stay up to date and get involved in our community!
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