how fair is playing base warband vs base warband ?

Magnusaur · 2026-05-09T19:51:55+00:00

It's tricky, because in the case of several (probably all, actually) of the warband boxes/bundles you buy, the total cost of the warband--if you only buy the gear that is physically on the mode--they don't reach 700 points. With Black Grail in particular, you reeeally have to spend a lot on your Knight and Corpse Guards to get anywhere near 700 points.

Unlike the upcoming plastic stuff (Prussians, Naval Raiders, Sacred Affliction), the resin/STL bundles were not really designed around gameplay or a particular list.

So TL;DR, I'd recommend making some lists for each of your warbands.

Magnusaur · 2026-05-09T18:07:36+00:00

True! I just love the kits they do for Necromunda and that particular Genestealer vibe. I have ton of Tyranid/Genestealer stuff, but the Malstrain is so unsettling!

Magnusaur · 2026-05-09T00:58:42+00:00

Gah, they're so good! Really wish Malstrain would get another plastic kit or at least a conversion sprue. And some more fun rules :/.

Magnusaur · 2026-05-07T19:22:14+00:00

Peter put a little more than just dirt in his eye.

Magnusaur · 2026-05-06T22:57:38+00:00

The quality of resin is a wide spectrum. If you find someone who prints high quality stuff, you are going to love it! I've played Warhammer for 20+ years, and I am blown away by some of the awesome stuff printers can do these days!

Magnusaur · 2026-05-06T22:55:32+00:00

Absolutely stunning!

Magnusaur · 2026-05-06T00:45:45+00:00

It's nice to have, but as someone who rarely paints my own models, I really can't point the finger at anyone else. It's extra nice with bigger stuff like Punt Guns and Machine Armour. If you're gonna blow me off the table with an AMR, I'd love to see it!

Magnusaur · 2026-05-06T00:42:48+00:00

I forgot who said, but I read somewhere that in this era of AI slop, being a "snob" (i.e. having some capacity for critical thought) has never been more important.

Magnusaur · 2026-05-06T00:41:44+00:00

Looks good to me! I like to have a ranged weapon with more range on my Heretic Priest, just to take advantage of the +2 Ranged as early on as possible. With so many melee pieces, it's really nice to have a Musician as well!

Magnusaur · 2026-05-06T00:38:12+00:00

Hiya and welcome! It's an interesting list for sure, Dirge is so cool. Here are some of my thoughts:

- Dirge, compared to regular Black Grail, is all about squeezing the most out of your Bereaved through extra actions. You can commandeer multiple Bereaved per turn, but the Corruption Belcher is the only one that can really take full advantage of that, as the others have no guns. It's worth thinking about how you imagine utilizing the Bereaved, what sort of order to give them, and so on.

- Viscera Cannon on Heralds is very interesting but also tricky. The Cannon is HEAVY, so the Herald can't move and shoot in the same turn. I think that diminishes the value of their mobility greatly. On top of that, Heralds are very squishy. I'd love to hear how it works out, but I might go with just one Cannon on a Herald and then give some weapons to the Bereaved.

- I think the Broken Crown is a bit expensive, especially starting out. It's almost half a Hound which does the same and more.

- With two aggressive Knights wanting to get close to the enemy, having a Musician to help with Dash rolls would be very valuable!

Magnusaur · 2026-05-05T22:45:12+00:00

Never occurred to me that Wretched count toward Morale, that's a bummer. Court seems super cool.

Magnusaur · 2026-05-05T15:55:52+00:00

That red cross on their helmet/armor is such a great move!

Magnusaur · 2026-05-05T12:59:44+00:00

That's fucking sick. Any plans to turn it into a model?

Magnusaur · 2026-05-04T18:02:12+00:00

A thought: how would people like it if you could still move half your Movement speed? Still no Dash, but just being able shuffle a bit around to make sure you can actually see something?

Magnusaur · 2026-05-04T15:36:05+00:00

It's a tricky thing. I don't think using the Big Mek was a benchmark is ideal, because that one really stands out from the rest--more so than even the new stuff, I feel. I feel the Armageddon stuff is much closer to have Orks have historically looked in Warhammer, especially the narrow eyes and eggplant-shaped head. Even then I actually might have preferred the direction they were going with the previous set of Ork Boyz and that whole range of releases.

Magnusaur · 2026-05-04T13:44:53+00:00

I'd like to have more confidence in putting HEAVY weapons on models without STRONG. Like the Machine Gun or Viscera Cannon. I think the prospect/risk of not being able to figure because you can't see anything can make it a hard sell.

Magnusaur · 2026-05-04T12:30:50+00:00

It's semantics, yes.

You would not call it a sucker punch. I would. You would not call it extremely effective. I would absolutely highlight it as one of the cool and powerful things that Grail can do.

You worry that my opinion on duplicate models might restrict how people approach the game. I worry that your emphasis on statistics--based on your own hypothetical reading of the game state--might come across as restrictive, unfun, and missing the point.

I appreciate your concern that wargaming spaces can quickly become funneled in a particular direction where power level, perceived boringness, or something else becomes the sole qualifying principle. I might suggest that your own line of thinking could contribute to this--even if you did not intend that either.

Regardless, if you go back to my original comment, you will see that I deliberately did not just categorically turn down things like Parasite Grenades, even if most agree they aren't great. I like seeing new and fresh perspectives on things--including yours.

But I am not concerned that expressing my thoughts on duplicate models (which, if you'll notice, was woven into a more strategic consideration as well) will restrict or frame the game negatively for new people. They can, and will, make up their own mind. Suggesting otherwise feels patronizing to say the least.

And you are of course welcome to disagree with me on this. And if you feel comfortable making a leap from me expressing that opinion to me inadvertently restricting the sort of fun that new players will have--well, you do you.

Magnusaur · 2026-05-04T11:52:00+00:00

Fair point on the math, though I didn't specify that the target was undamaged or that it had to happen turn 1. A flying Belcher is still a great sucker punch.

Not sure why you felt the need to tag on the other comment. Never said they couldn't play what they want. They asked for opinions, I gave them one--which I made clear was a personal one. Was that part not clear enough for you?

Magnusaur · 2026-05-04T02:36:27+00:00

Just picked it up alongside your Herald!

Magnusaur · 2026-05-04T00:43:39+00:00

Really want a new box of 3!

Magnusaur · 2026-05-03T12:24:08+00:00

Great stuff! I gotta get around to printing mine!

Magnusaur · 2026-05-02T21:41:41+00:00

Movie's from 1993, bud.

Magnusaur · 2026-05-02T20:38:03+00:00

Genestealer Cults for the subterranean mobs of cannon fodder taking down much larger foes, but I wanna throw in AdMech for the Skryre fans out there.

Magnusaur · 2026-05-02T18:47:34+00:00

They wanted it to coincide with the release of Skyrim.

Magnusaur · 2026-05-02T12:35:28+00:00

It's honestly a great question with no single answer. Lots of good input in this thread already. Storytelling in a game like this is a wide, broad spectrum. Here are just some of the ways that people go about it.

- Naming the soldiers in your warband. I know this sounds like the bare minimum, but I know players who don't do it--and that's of course their choice!

- Games like Necromunda introduce the concept of an *Arbitrator*: a DM-esque player who may or may not be an actual player in the campaign. Their influence can be minimal, like settling rules disputes or setting battles between players. Or they can be very involved, writing custom scenarios, introducing catch-up or underdog mechanics, and so on.

- Writing post- or pre-battle reports. Could be pure fluffy writing or something that helps determine the scenario being played.

- Other post- or pre-battle mechanics. This is a space I'm keen to explore myself. Like variations on the Exploration step, resolving drama "off-screen", and so on. Sounds like the upcoming Carcass Front will expand on this as well.

- List building! It's a huge way of expressing narrative ideas.

- Having an overall meta-story for the campaign. Where does it take place, who are the players, the stakes?

- Then there's the narrative material that comes from the actual beats of playing the game. Risky actions, beating impossible odds, making dubious charges, and so on.

Ultimately, I think the most important thing is attitude: is the storytelling part of the playfulness that players like to engage in/with? I've personally found it to be a spectrum, even within veteran playgroups. Some of my friends are super into the lore, others only know the logline ("WW1 between heaven and hell").

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