Cities of Sigmar will finally get an update; check out all the Dawnbringer Crusades previews revealed by Games Workshop for the Free Guilds!
After months of renders and hype, it’s nice to finally be able to see the first miniatures for the Cities of Sigmar Free Guilds and the Dawnbringer Crusades!
They are still a little ways off, but once we start seeing minis, it means we don’t have too much longer to wait (Autumn). It’s nice to have both a solid release date and now some minis!
GW Reveals First AoS Dawnbringer Model: Freeguild Marshal: (May 22nd, 2023)
Forget renders; get in here and see the Freeguild Marshal the first official Dawnbringer model that Games Workshop has previewed on Warhammer Community.
The finest officers amongst the Dawnbringer Crusades are all trained by the military academies of their respectives cities, but few have hit the books as hard as Freeguild Marshals. Each is a master tactician and a veteran combatant, and they bring these hard-won lessons to bear on the battlefield.
The models are pretty cool, and the Marshall looks quite stoic with his giant hammer! The attendant will have some options, but not as many for the Marshal himself.
As we said, they don’t really show or mention options for the Marshal, but hopefully, there are at least some head swaps. Either way, the miniature is really cool and an excellent start to the new Cities of Sigmar faction!
The Relic Envoys who accompany these commanders are hand-picked from the finest squires of the next generation of soldiers. These brave attendants risk their lives to run orders through the heat of combat, bringing their Marshal’s will directly to the front lines.
They also tend to carry some artefact or relic from their family line – particularly morbid mementos may even be blessed with death rites, allowing the mummified heads of revered relatives to whisper advice (or embarrassing anecdotes) from beyond the grave.
The Relic Envoys are really cool, and we’re sure they will add a decent amount of power to the army. Plus, they look to have a lot of options, and there’s nothing wrong with more bits
AoS Cities of Sigmar Dawnbringer Relics & Bits: (January 5th, 2023)
In these previews, Warhammer Community unveiled a decent amount of bits and insight for the new Dawnbringer Crusades army, just enough to give us hope!
Though all may agree that Sigmar is divine, the folk of the Free Cities are massively diverse in other respects. Whether roused to action by the rhetoric of Sigmarite priests, or taking the Coin Malleus for their own opportunistic reasons, these soldiers are drawn from all corners of the Mortal Realms.
The different cities bring with them all sorts of unusual religious ideas regarding Sigmar, emphasising various aspects of their god and how to worship him”, notes Seb. “Many of these cults find religious meaning in very different symbols – not just the classic hammer, but things such as anvils, the weather, broken weapons, and even battle debris.
These are some really cool bits! Combined with what we’ve seen, it looks like they are keeping the feel of the current line but just super updating it!
“Decorative grotesques are sprinkled through the army”, grins Seb. “These disturbing gargoyles aren’t just symbols hammered out in iron – they’re real threats that actually exist in the Mortal Realms. Lightly sprinkled throughout the kits, they add a sense of the macabre – and a reminder that horrors are lurking under every stone and around every corner…
From the sounds of it, there will be a ton of awesome bits in each kit! We’ll have to wait and see some sprues, but if they have tons of extra bits, it should make for really fun overall models and builds. Read More Here
AoS Cities of Sigmar Dawnbringer Armor & More: (November 9th, 2022)
Warhammer Community unveiled a decent amount of pieces, just enough to give us hope! Let’s check out the previews!
Now we can reveal the shields and armour these people use to protect themselves in the harsh wilds beyond their walls. Seb Perbet, a senior designer at the Warhammer Studio, offered his insight into the decisions behind the designs.
“One of our main goals is to show the mindset and culture of the Cities of Sigmar in every item they’ve produced,” said Seb. “Whether it’s a breastplate, a shield, or even a bag or bottle, we want to show a certain fashion and level of craftsmanship rooted in their culture.”
They are pretty stylized and look like a great start to us. They also did this sort of preview (showing the renders of weapons and such first, with the World Eaters for Warhammer 40k (and Sister of Battle a few years before that). Then we started seeing minis about a month or so later, so this might follow the same path.
“The materials shown – such as wood, metal, cloth, and leather – are all chosen and rendered to make the Cities feel relatable compared to the other factions of the Mortal Realms,” Seb explains. “The overall silhouettes are simple, with many straight lines and robust proportions, showing the users are resolute, determined, and sturdy.”
This looks pretty classic for the faction, so it’s nice to see them keeping with the aesthetic while updating it to the new edition.
“Within this austere silhouette, there are more ostentatious details, which tells us many of these people are proud and wealthy too. We’re carefully setting a level of wear and tear that communicates they’ve been through storms and battles – these soldiers are exhausted, but still standing.”
Of course, they would have awesome Sigmar inlays on their armor! Again, this is just the beginning, but we hope to see more soon!
AoS Cities of Sigmar Weapons: (October 17th, 2022)
Warhammer Community unveiled a decent amount of pieces, just enough to give us hope! Let’s check out the previews!
The Dawnbringer Crusades are Sigmar’s grand push back into the lost regions of the Mortal Realms, founding new settlements that they hope will someday grow into Free Cities of their own. Each expedition is spearheaded by a contingent of soldiers armed with hardened steel, behind which trails a caravan of colonists, supplies, beasts of burden, and pre-fabricated buildings. If all goes well these soldiers will be able to join in and settle down peacefully, too – if all goes well.
Unfortunately, they say in the article that this is still a long way off. Even going as far as to say we will not see them this year. But let’s hope they don’t push too far into 2023.
Unfortunately, these shattered realms are beset with horrors, raiders, and unfriendly fauna – or flora – but an honest cutting edge or doughty spiked maul is just as good as the lightning-wrought divine weapons of the Stormcast Eternals. Probably. In a pinch.
We had seen a few of these before now, but it’s nice to see a bigger arsenal. They also did this with the World Eaters, then we started seeing minis about a month or so later, so this might follow the same path.
Although rare and unreliable, gunpowder weaponry is also available for those who’d rather keep their distance, from intricate flintlock pistols that can shoot through the breastplate of a Hobgrot Slitta at 40 paces, to an ingeniously brutal combination of pike and man-portable cannon.
While it’s not a ton, it’s better than nothing!
Here’s the most up-to-date list of new Games Workshop bits from preview models that we should watch out for. Click on the gallery above to see dozens of Rumor Engines with new models still to be revealed!
All the Newest GW Model & Rules Previews
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
