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God, I miss weird Warhammer.
That's not to say the hobby isn't full to bursting with batshit ideas, of course; it is, and I'm grateful for that. But there was a special brand of madness to armies such as the old-school Empire from Warhammer Fantasy Battles, like Tim Burton crossed with a steampunk fever-dream. If you also have a soft spot for that vibe, let me introduce you to the new Cities of Sigmar models from Age of Sigmar. Dear reader, they are bonkers.
While you can of course pre-order these models direct from the Warhammer store, it's worth checking out Miniature Market in the US or Wayland Games in the UK. They typically offer the same items at a heavy discount.
I was able to go hands-on with every new Cities of Sigmar model for the wargame's current edition, and they're a glorious callback to the Empire of old. Cities of Sigmar (AKA the most widespread human faction in this setting) had already been leaning on that aesthetic when it launched a couple of years ago, but now it's thrown all thoughts of decorum out the window by diving headfirst into 'bizarre.' There are giants using fortress gates as shields. One of the new wizards has a bell for a helmet, because of course he does. Oh, and don't forget the dirty great castle on legs with a cannon strapped to the front. It's all wonderfully, gloriously stupid, and I am very much in love.
If the first Cities of Sigmar wave was a proof of concept, this is the idea truly finding its feet.
Just like magic
Because the aforementioned castle on legs intimidated me, I started by cobbling together the wizards of this wave (including the bell-headed Knellmage and fire-based Aqshian Pyrocaster). If you're a long-in-the-tooth veteran like me, they'll remind you of the Empire's Colleges of Magic – only given an Age of Sigmar twist. Rather than being classic high fantasy wizards, they're sporting a gothic makeover that wouldn't be out of place in the Diablo universe.
Their abilities are a little more abstract too. The Knellmage is all about putting foes at a disadvantage with nullifying effects (they stop units from using commands), while the Pyromancer lights up an enemy unit like a flare, making them 'incandescent' and dealing damage after each casting. These aren't game-changing WMDs, then, but they can nudge the fortunes of a battle in your favor if used correctly.
Of all these spellcasters, Erasmus Zonn is the standout. Even from the off, he's clearly a Big Deal; he's riding a winged chimera, is wearing a mask that practically screams 'enigmatic,' and is laden down with lots of cool shitTM. Seeing as he's the Archmage of the Cities of Sigmar magical college, that makes sense. His Lantern of All-Knowledge ability is suitably overpowered, too; if Erasmus is within nine inches of a board corner and a unit is within six inches of him, they can't be seen by foes more than six inches away. That's gonna come in very handy early in a match, where you'll be afforded some cover on the advance.
Speaking of cover, your enemies will be scrambling for some thanks to the new Freeguild Grenadiers. I won't spend too long waxing lyrical about these (or the Gallants, Jorvan Kreel, and Mallus Forgepriest) because we've talked about them before in our City of Ash review, but suffice to say, I learned the hard way to fear these guys. They made mincemeat of my Skaven forces when I faced them in battle, so I think they'll be the surprise MVP of the wave.
On-the-go fortress
However, the Gate Gargants ended up being my favorites in the end. They're the perfect blend of theme and function. Besides protecting your rank and file from incoming fire (while being able to supply some of their own via gunners perched in the galleon-style crows nests perched on their back), they can deal punishment to anyone knocking on the door with massive clubs. These doors then open for a short time to let your troops mount a surprise attack by adding two to a charge, and the Gargants allow nearby friends in combat to retreat without mortal damage.
If you handle them cleverly, they'll be a giant-sized pain in the ass. I have a suspicion many will overlook these Gate Gargants in favor of the Cogfort, and that's a shame; they're more dangerous than you think.
If you want to get into collecting Cities of Sigmar but aren't sure where to begin, it's worth checking out the City of Ash set. This provides two full Spearhead armies (including a Cities of Sigmar force using some of the new models mentioned here) to go with terrain and a board. You can currently pick it up via Amazon.
And ah, the Cogfort. This is undoubtedly the crown jewel of the Cities of Sigmar range. Indeed, I've seen pretty much everyone go nuts for it since launch (it helps that you can field one in any army, representing mercenaries shopping around). In terms of stats, it lives up to the reputation. There's absurdly powerful cannons and the ability to fire in combat due to the crew's handguns. You've got a 'Full Power' ability that either lets you (albeit at the risk of overheating) move faster, reroll attacks/wounds, shoot even while retreating, or launch countermeasures to protect units close to you. It has a control score of 10, too, and even features special ammo you can use when necessary. This thing is, in a word, terrifying.
This has also been the most intense single miniature I've ever made by far. I wouldn't say it's complicated, or hard – but it's a very involved process, has you constantly searching for parts between sprues, is bitty, and takes a long time to finish. I'd highly recommend painting this thing in bits as well, because it'd be an absolute nightmare to access certain bits when fully built. (Though make sure you've added all the pieces to the main body first, unlike me – I thought I had everything in place so started painting, then realized I needed to add more rafters later.)
Is all that effort worthwhile? Absolutely. This is one of the most visually stunning models in the Age of Sigmar range, bar none.
- See all Warhammer Age of Sigmar deals at Amazon
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