Looks like Warhammer the Old World is 100% Square bases, set before the End times, and will borrow rules and miniature size from Fantasy!
There have been multiple announcements across the course of a year, so let’s recap everything we know about The Old World so far leading up to these big reveals on the system from GW:
In case you missed the past Warhammer Old World announcements, we’ve included them here:
GW Announces Warhammer Fantasy Returning (sort of)
Boom goes the Warhammer Fantasy Dynamite. GW is revamping an old game in a new way. Check out the latest game announcement coming to the Fantasy setting. Read More
GW Announces Kislev For Warhammer Old World
Boom goes the Warhammer Fantasy Dynamite. GW is revamping the Kislev faction for The Old World in a new way. Check out the latest! Read MoreFantasy Bears! More Kislev Previews
Bear mounts are back in the latest Kislev faction previews for their Fantasy reboot in Warhammer Old World. Check out these bear mount variants! Read MoreEverything We Know About The Old World
Kislev, Bretonia, High Elves, Wood Elves, and even Orcs are all confirmed for the Fantasy Battles Reboot- Warhammer Old World! Read MoreGW Confirms Warhammer Old World: Size, Period & Square Bases!
Now With all of the previous reveals covered, Warhammer Community released a new update on the progress of Warhammer The Old World. So, let’s break it down.
Those who have studied the previous map updates will no doubt have discerned that the Empire is riven by civil war, with no one Emperor or Empress uniting the elector states, and so the Kislevites’ role is even more vital to the defence of the entire Old World.
Students of Warhammer lore will also note that the borders of Kislev are very different from what they may be familiar with. The eastern border is not here defined by the World’s Edge Mountains, but in fact extends through the Belyevobota Pass, through the Great Skull Lands – northernmost reaches of the Dark Lands – through the Mountains of Mourn, and out into the limitless expanses of the eastern steppes beyond.
These two excerpts give essentially confirm the specific timeframe of Warhammer Old World. It also heavily emphasizes Kislev, which if you didn’t know is also the major “good” faction in the highly anticipated Warhammer Total War 3, which continues to inch closer to a release. This means that there may be more first-time Warhammer players with this Kislev emphasis, thanks to the record-breaking success of Warhammer Total War. Additionally, the Empire isn’t at full strength and is dealing with Civil War, this gives a ton of lore and army wiggle room for anymore interested in playing one of the many human factions.
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They then go into a series of FAQ-style questions and answers.
More About Warhammer The Old World:
Definitely square! Warhammer: The Old World is a reinvention of the classic rank-and-file game of Warhammer Fantasy Battles.
They have stated before that they are returning to Squares for the classic Warhammer Fantasy rank and file gameplay, but rumors still rose up that it wouldn’t be so. This is quelling those. Yes and yes the squares are for-real, for-real.
What? No! What madness is that?! The scale will remain the same as it ever was. We want people to be able to use their old armies if they wish, or to start new ones, or to add new miniatures to old armies – whatever they want.
This is also directly quelling some other rumors that had risen up. The game will be the same scale it was, not some flavor of epic scale or anything like that. The emphasis on using old armies or adding or making new ones is fantastic.
Hopefully, this hints at a ton of support to come! Although it does make the “cross-play” between AoS and Old World a little rocky. It certainly won’t be as easy as say Horus Heresy and 40k. Either way, the return will be epic!
Both! We’ve played every single edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battles over the years and like every player, we have our favourite bits from each.
This may not sound amazing at first, but the Dev team being able to pick and choose has the potential to create the best, most fun edition of “Fantasy” we have ever seen!
Currently, the new latest updates to both AoS and 40k have been very well received in general, so that’s a great sign!
Da boyz woz called Orcs in da Old World, so datz what dey’z called!
The change to Orruks seemed like mostly adding a “unique” factor to the IP, so the dedication to nostalgia and returning to the old terms is a great sign to trying to really get it right for the players.
Keen-eyed observers will have gleaned by now that Warhammer: The Old World is going to be set several hundred years before the End Times, so there’s plenty of space to explore the history of the setting. Especially knowledgeable students may also note this puts us just before another calamitous Chaos invasion, and one which, while central to the story of the Empire and the entire Old World, was barely touched on in previous iterations…
This is super interesting! Archaon might not be around, but there were still other Everchosen before him. A quick search places Asavar Kul as the Everchosen a little over 200 years before Archaon. This might be his time to shine! It’s also worth noting that Magnus The Pious helped defeat him, and reunified the empire. So there happens to be a Civil war going on? This might just add up!
Yes, we’re positive!
This seems to be the team having a bit of fun poking at just how many rumors popped up about the bases. just in case you weren’t sure. Squares are definitely happening.
It’s going to be quite some time yet as we work on making sure this is the best version of the game we all love. We’ll give you more updates at some point here on Warhammer Community when the time is right. Until then, employ the patience of Nagash and plot your return to the Old World – the wait will be well worth it!
With still a ton of questions in the air and now new models or products sighted anywhere, this really is a ways off. At least they took the time to confirm and quell some of the rumors that rose up over the past year!
Warhammer The Old World is still in development, but what do you think about the size, rules, and bases?
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About the Author: Andrew Schrank
Andrew Schrank
Job Title: Miniatures & Warhammer Hobby Staff Writer
Socials: Facebook
About Andrew Schrank: Over the past 15 years, Andrew has played all the games, including tabletop and video games, and immersed himself in the associated lore. Andrew joined the Spikey Bits team in 2018 and covers the Warhammer hobby and tournament scene, along with the latest in tabletop miniatures, each week.
Aspiring diplomat, Lord of Fluff, and Master of Ice Hammer, He loves Star Wars, Chaos Undivided, and Gundam. During his free time, he hunts Platinum trophies on PS5 and reads international news. On weekends, Andrew plays commander and cEDH games, often with unique strategies that push the limits.
He believes each day presents a new opportunity to grow and be challenged.
