GW just dropped a huge Q&A for Warhammer Old World, including a potential release date, a new square base size, and more Bretonnians!
We heard rumors about when the game might just be revealed in full, and what models would be included in the starter set, and this seems to more or less confirm a lot of those rumors!
This might be one of the most significant real updates we’ve seen from them about the actual details of the game, so just great to see! Plus, the release date is lining up pretty perfectly with the rest of the schedule and rumors we’ve seen.
Not only did they talk about all that, they even talked about using your old minis for tournaments, so there is plenty to cover; let’s dive into it!
In case you missed the past Warhammer Old World announcements, we’ve included them here:
- GW Announces Warhammer Fantasy Returning (sort of)
- Warhammer Old World Release Date Details & Starter Set
- Fantasy Bears! More Kislev Previews For Warhammer Old World
- Bretonnians, Tomb Kings, Orcs & More Confirmed in Warhammer Old World!
- Warhammer The Old World: Everything We Know So Far
GW Confirms Old World Coming Soon & New Square Base Size
Here is the latest from Warhammer Community.
As you can see, our painted models are on square bases – but these are slightly bigger than they were back in the days of Warhammer Fantasy Battle. The majority of models in Warhammer: The Old World will indeed sit on bigger bases – there are a few reasons for this.
Over the decades, our models have become larger and more dynamic, which means that many units have become difficult to arrange into ranks and files. Players must be able to line their models up without complex planning about which spear has to go where in order to use them in-game. On top of that, we didn’t like that the back ranks were hidden and hard to see.
So now, all 20mm bases have been replaced with 25mm bases. Most (but not all) 25mm and 25×50 bases have been replaced with new-sized bases.
Well, this means if you have a ton of models still, you will most likely have to rebase a lot of them. We heard a long time ago in 2019 that square bases were coming back, but this is really the first confirmation from GW about the actual size.
This makes sense as the models have become more dynamic, but you will have to rebase some older models. This leads to the next question, are the models actually getting bigger?
No, the new models will be in the same scale as the returning range from Warhammer Fantasy Battle. The base size change has come about because some of those ‘90s and ‘00s models became difficult to rank up, and we’re taking the opportunity to fix the problem. It will mean that newer models joining the range can be more dynamically posed, but proportions remain the same.
So, this should also make it easier to put your models into rank and file; if you played the old editions, you know sometimes you had to maneuver the models perfectly to get them lined up, so this is actually probably going to be a plus.
Tournament Play with Older Armies
If you’re playing at home there’ll be no requirement to rebase anything. For casual play, the size of base will make a minimal difference to gameplay. The rules will be written assuming the new larger base sizes – so if you’re planning to play competitively, you might want to upgrade to larger bases,
If you don’t want to rebase your older models individually, you are welcome to pop them onto a movement tray with the right footprint. In practice, movement trays are a useful tool, even if your army is on the right base size, as it speeds up gameplay and makes for more accurate unit maneuvering.
This is a good solution for everyone who doesn’t want to rebase all of their models, as you can just buy a few movement trays the right size and be good to go for tournaments.
Q: How do I know the correct base size for my models?
A: Base sizes will be given in every model’s profile.
Again, this is nothing too crazy, but having the reference is always nice.
Q: Can I take my old armies to organised play events?
A: Sure! But organised play events (tournaments, campaign events, etc) will probably require armies to be based appropriately for the new game (or on an appropriate movement tray). Organised play requires some standardisation and this is the best way to do it.
This is great to see! Considering you already have the minis, you’ll be able to play them; just be sure to get the right size bases or movement trays. We’ll have to see what they say about proxies and such for different units and units that are no longer in the game (if there are many).
The Game is Coming Soon!
Thanks again to the Warhammer: The Old World team! There’s plenty more to come from development diaries in the future – and you may just hear even more at Warhammer Fest, which kicks off on Saturday, the 29th of April.
This makes a lot of sense. As we assumed, if they showed 10th Edition 40k off at AdeptiCon, they would almost have to reveal Old World at Warhammer Fest. This would also line up perfectly with the current schedule. With 10th Edition 40k (most likely) dropping in late June, AoS is rumored to get a new edition in 2024.
This would let them have a giant game for the end of 2023 (not to mention having this fall in the 40th anniversary year) and then jump into AoS in 2024 and hold people over until then.
All the Latest on Warhammer Old World!
What do you think about this timeframe for the game? Do you like the idea of updated base sizes?
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
Bio: Virginia restless, miniature painter & cat dad. He blames LEGOs for all this, as there was something about those little-colored blocks that started it all. Spikey Bits sprung from Rob staying motivated to hobby on his backlog of projects, while sharing his knowledge with others during the early blogging era.
LEGO maniac and scale model hobbyist in the 80s turned miniature wargamer and trading card player ever since. He’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition), but Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and minatures made of pewter and resin.
