Old World Battle March just got five army boxes, giving Empire, Beastmen, Orcs, High Elves, and Wood Elves a 400-750 point entry point into Fantasy.
Finally a way into the Old World that doesn’t start with buying 2,000 points of plastic. GW just revealed the full lineup, and it arrives the same week as the updated rulebook and Battle March: General’s Companion.
Battle March is the smaller way to play Warhammer: The Old World, using 400 to 750-point armies and a few rules changes to keep the games working at that size. You still get the movement, tactics, and important charges, but the games are short enough to play a couple on a weeknight. So, if you’ve been following the Old World release roadmap and waiting for an easier place to start, this is it.
Plus it’s a much smaller commitment than buying the full Old World Core Set to start. I mean to be fair GW used the same basic starter approach with the rulebook Core Set pre-order weekend, but now Battle March lowers the cost and model count even more!
- Five boxes: Empire of Man, Beastmen Brayherds, Orc and Goblin Tribes, High Elf Realms, and Wood Elf Realms.
- The format: 400 to 750 points, with the updated rulebook and Battle March: General’s Companion hitting shelves tomorrow.
- The read: this is the cheapest and fastest way into the Old World yet, with one box instead of a full army.
Battle March Is the Cheapest Way Into the Old World Yet
Updated on July 17, 2026, by Rob Baer with the new Old World Battle March army box reveals.
This is the entry point the Old World has needed since it returned. Battle March uses 400 to 750-point armies, the updated rulebook and General’s Companion arrive tomorrow, and each of these five boxes gives you one of the book’s balanced example forces in a single purchase. Instead of pricing out a full 2,000-point army before playing your first game, you can just buy one box and put it on the table. The biggest barrier to starting the Old World has always been the amount of plastic you need before game one, but now these boxes cut that down substantianlly.
The Empire Box Answers With Gunpowder and Cavalry
The Empire box does exactly what you’d expect. It holds the line, shoots whatever comes near it, and uses fast cavalry to finish the job. Inside you get:
- One Commander of the Empire with great weapon
- 20 State Troops with a choice of weapons
- 10 Flagellants
- 10 State Missile Troops armed with crossbows or handguns
- 10 Empire Archers
- Five Outriders who can alternately be built as Pistoliers
You get a solid infantry block in the middle, plus two shooting units to punish anything moving toward it. That’s about as straightforward as an Old World starter force gets.
Beastmen Trade Shooting for Speed and Bodies
The Beastmen box goes the other direction becasue there’s barely any shooting here. The army wants to move fast, close the distance, and win in combat. The box holds:
- One Beastman Chieftain with two hand weapons
- One Beastman Shaman
- 10 Ungors with a choice of weapons
- 10 Bestigors
- 20 Gors with a choice of two hand weapons or a hand weapon and shield
- 10 Chaos Warhounds
Twenty Gors is a serious unit at this points level, and the Chieftain is built to get into the fight with them.
The Orc and Goblin Box is a Green Wrecking Ball
The Orcs weren’t going to miss a fight, and their box is built around speed and hitting power. There are barely any foot troops here. You get:
- One Orc Boss on a warboar
- One Goblin Shaman
- One Battle Standard Bearer
- 15 Orc Boys with a choice of weapons
- Five Goblin Wolf Riders with a choice of weapons
- Five Boar Boys with a choice of weapons
- One Orc Boar Chariot
Two fast cavalry units supporting a block of Orc Boys gives this starter force plenty of movement. It plays the way an Orc army should.
High Elves Get a Small, Elite Toolbox
The High Elf box is a small elite force built to work with fewer models. It’s for players who want a couple of flexible units instead of a large infantry block. It comes with:
- One Sea Guard High Elf Lord
- 10 Lothern Sea Guard
- Five Shadow Warriors, who can alternately be built as Sisters of Avelorn
- Five Ellyrian Reavers
- One Lothern Skycutter
- One Tiranoc Chariot, which can alternately be built as a Lion Chariot of Chrace
Both kits have two build options, so the box gives you more list choices than the low model count suggests. Which is useful in a starter force.
Wood Elves Close the Set Out With Longbows
The Wood Elves are the surprise fifth box, and their plan is simple. Bascially, shoot everything with longbows. The box contains:
- Araloth, Lord of Talsyn
- 10 Eternal Guard
- Five Sisters of the Thorn
- Four Glade Riders with longbows
- Eight Glade Guard with longbows
The whole force is built to shoot from range and stay out of trouble. It’s a very Wood Elf way to play and gives new players a different kind of army to learn.
Final Thoughts on Old World Battle March
All five boxes go up for pre-order soon, and price is still the big question. Battle March only works as an entry point if these boxes cost less than buying the included kits separately, and GW’s recent box pricing has gone both ways.
Price them properly, and this becomes the easiest way to start the Old World. Price them badly, and they’re just five more boxes sitting on the shelf during slow summer demand…
🔗 Related Reads:
- Warhammer: The Old World Rules and How To Play
- New Warhammer The Old World: 2026 Roadmap and Release Schedule
- Warhammer The Old World Core Set: Review Breakdown
- New Old World Core Set, Rulebook Pre-Order Weekend
- Warhammer The Old World Warriors of Chaos: 54-Mini Core Box and Dragon Revealed
- Pre-Order Warhammer Old World News and Resources
- All Our Warhammer: The Old World Coverage
What do you think of the new Old World Battle March army boxes, and which faction are you starting with?
