Warhammer: The Old World Battle March armies from the team behind the game

Two new Battle March boxed sets – one for the Warriors of Chaos and one for Grand Cathay – go up for pre-order this weekend. Members of the Warhammer: The Old World team have been busy preparing their own smaller sized forces – let’s take a look.

JTY: Whilst working on the Battle March: General’s Companion, we played a lot of games around the studio, and more than a few of us were inspired to join in. Some of the armies used were drawn from much larger forces, whilst others were created especially for this new format, either as standalone projects, or as the beginning of a larger collection.

Adam: Orc & Goblin Tribes

Ever since I was young I’ve loved to see big mobs of Orc Boyz and Boar Boyz thundering across the battlefield, and I always wanted my own Orc & Goblin Tribes army. Alas, as a younger hobbyist I lacked the patience to see such a project to completion. But now, with modern tools like Contrast Paints to aid me, I’m ready for the challenge!

The army is based around two mobs of 20 Orc Boyz, a nice solid core of infantry upon which to build, supported by five Boar Boyz for their speed and hitting power, and some classic Ogres for variety. The army is led by my Warboss and Weirdboy Shaman, who I imagine having visions and whispering them in the ears of the Boss, filling him with grand ideas and inspiring him to lead his own Waaagh! across the Old World, conquering enemies and causing trouble.

This is only the start and the army is already growing. I plan to paint some Trolls which I can use in place of the Ogres in games of Battle March, or alongside in larger games. I’m currently working on some Black Orcs and war machines, and planning to add a Warboss on a Wyvern.

Quinn: Warriors of Chaos – Wolves of the Sea

Inspired by the Chaos Marauders and Marauder Horsemen, I started a Wolves of the Sea army, and a force for Battle March seemed like the ideal place to begin. Even at 500 points, I knew I wanted to include as many Warhammer archetypes as I could – a block of ranked infantry, thundering cavalry and chariots, and fleet-footed skirmishers. I like fast and manoeuvrable units that allow me to play aggressively and outflank my enemies.

The Chaos Sorcerer is probably my favourite model, converted from Kralmaw from the Beasts of Chaos range. I wanted her to tie in visually with the Marauders’ aesthetic while still appearing strange and distinctive, and embodying the power of Chaos. It was a lot of work combining the body of a Marauder with Kralmaw’s cloak and arms, but the effort was worth it for the finished result.

By including several small units I was able to sink my teeth into plenty of kitbashing and converting to personalise the units. The chariot, for example, crewed by Marauders and drawn by Marauder Warhorses with their riders carefully removed, was included to give the force a big, centrepiece model which helps it come together visually.

JTY: Dwarfen Mountain Holds – Slayer Host

Well, hardly a ‘host’, more of a warband. I first started painting Dwarfs in the late nineteen-hundreds,* and Slayers have always been a particular favourite of mine. There’s something about the doom-laden outcasts that makes them stand out amongst the Dwarfen throngs, and whilst I didn’t want a 2,000 point army of them, I really wanted to paint a handful of these classic models, and Battle March gave me the opportunity to do just that.

I knew I wanted a bit of everything – Slayers, Doomseekers, and a Goblin-hewer, all led by a Slayer of Legend, and with the addition of some carefully chosen runes, this handful of Dwarfs forms a perfectly useable army more than capable of fulfilling its destiny on the battlefield!

Inspired by the ‘Eavy Metal models of the past, the army was painted in bright colours. Orange beards and mohawks, colourful trousers and bright green base rims really suit such classic models.

Danny: Empire of Man

I initially started collecting my Empire army ahead of the Throne of Skulls Doubles at Warhammer World. Since then, I have added a number of units to the army, taking it to well over 2,000 points. With everyone creating armies to play Battle March, I wanted to see what I could put together from my existing collection before I started trying to add new miniatures.

This army combines a couple of units that feel right at home in Battle March – the Archers and Road Wardens. These units are well suited to scouting ahead of a much larger army, which fits the theme of many Battle March scenarios very well.

To these, I added a small unit of Demigryphs, a hard-hitting unit that I seldom turn up to battle without, and a unit of Empire State Troops armed with spears to hold objectives. Led by a Captain and supported by a Master Mage, the army is able to deal with most threats, be they magical or mundane.

If I were building a Battle March army from scratch, I might forgo the Demigryphs in favour of some Flagellants and swap the Mage for a Warrior Priest. These units have a propensity for wandering the roads of the Empire, spreading word of impending doom, traits I believe would lead them directly into plenty of small skirmishes with enemy forces in the wilds of the Old World.

Dave: Kingdom of Bretonnia

I’ve collected Bretonnians for over 25 years, and in that time I’ve painted knights from every dukedom with all manner of heraldic devices. With the arrival of Warhammer: the Old World I wanted to focus on the colours of a single Dukedom, and Battle March offered the perfect outlet to begin a new army in one unified scheme – the iconic colours of Couronne, my favourite of the fourteen.

When writing my muster list I was keen to get a taste of the key unit types you’d see on a battlefield, trying to capture the feel of a larger army on a smaller battlefield. The core of the army is a hearty chunk of Knights to smash into the enemy lines, supported by a large block of Men-at-Arms and valiant Knights of the Realm on Foot, whilst Peasant Bowmen keep the enemy at bay.

I am particularly proud of my General, who uses spare parts from a Lord on Royal Pegasus and the head from an Adepta Sororitas Palatine combined with parts from a Knight of the Realm, tactically positioned on some rubble built from a Sigmarite Chapel. The intention of this conversion was to represent my take on Couronne’s Duchess, Chambray D’Avauex, with this Battle March army representing an early point in her life, trying to make a name for herself hunting down the wayward beasts and monsters that plague the fringes of the realm she would one day rule.

My objective markers were made from a mix of terrain features, spare parts from Bretonnian kits, a treasure chest from Dungeon Bowl, and even a Made to Order Paladin turned into a stoic statue.

In the future, I plan on mixing things up with some Knights Errant and Questing Knights to field the army as an Errantry Crusade, representing the Duchess’ quests further afield.

JTY: Beasts of Chaos

With a few Old World armies at my disposal, this is my second featured in this article, but it’s not my most recent hobby project. This army was painted a couple of years ago now, when the release of Warhammer: The Old World was imminent and I challenged myself to paint an army of Beastmen so I would have a brand-new army to command. The models were painted quickly using a combination of drybrushing and layers of Contrast to build up depth, and I’m very pleased with the overall effect.

For games of Battle March, I like a solid core of Gors, accompanied by a Wargor. These are supported by fast moving and deadly Chaos Warhounds, which are able to move swiftly across the battlefield and threaten the enemy. Supported by a Razorgor, these units can deliver quite the blow to the small units you commonly encounter in Battle March games.

A unit of Minotaurs adds some much needed strength, whilst the Chaos Spawn are a tough, Unbreakable unit capable of holding up most foes for a turn or two and, Random Movement permitting, keep them away from treasure troves.

Thanks, folks! While you’re planning your own small-scale army, you can learn how the team created the Battle March rules, and see which factions will be getting their own Battle March boxes in the wake of the Warriors of Chaos and Grand Cathay.

* Apologies to any readers that suddenly feel very old.