I have a plea for you: don't sleep on Warhammer Age of Sigmar. It may not be a household name like its grimdark sibling 40K, but this fantasy wargame is some of Games Workshop's best work – and the new Khazalite Holds range (which has just gone up for pre-order) is a good example of that.
When it comes to Games Workshop, Warhammer 40,000 gets a lot of attention. Understandably so; it's a deeply compelling world with iconic factions and trend-setting gameplay. However, Age of Sigmar is no slouch. Besides intuitive mechanics that shave off any excess for an incredibly tight, focused experience, it being the scrappy younger brother with everything to prove has given it an excuse to go wild creatively. I genuinely think this wargame is responsible for some of the company's boldest and best-looking models. The Khazalite Holds exemplify this top-of-class nature.
The range is now up for pre-order at the Warhammer store, but you can usually get a discount at indie retailers like Miniature Market (or Wayland Games in the UK) if you wait. Want to make a start with the Khazalite Holds, for example? You can get the Army Set for $30 less at Miniature Market.
I've mentioned before that the new faction plays it safer than I'd like visually, and I stand by this assessment now that I've got the full range on my desk (with a couple of exceptions we'll cover later). For me, Age of Sigmar is at its best when it mucks about with walking castles, bizarre tree people, or armies powered by caged demons. But by god, are the Khazalite Holds the best example of 'classic' fantasy dwarves I've ever seen. They bring beloved tropes together in an elegant and timeless way.
The Thrynn – a warleader for your army – is a good example. It absolutely nails the stoic warrior king idea with a simple pose that nevertheless radiates power, an imposing mask that genuinely makes them look intimidating, a bear-skin cloak to go with their obnoxiously large hammer, and, of course, a truly magnificent beard.
Similarly, the Valayan Guardians (which are hands down my favorite troops in the range) channel a Valkyrie-esque air while also managing to look more dynamic and speedier than you'd expect from often-cumbersome fantasy dwarves to be. Because one of their special abilities lets them cut through foes as they charge toward a new target, that's only fair.
The most impressive of all the Khazalite Holds is, quite rightly, High King Valankrom. The faction's leader is hands down the most bizarre and imaginative miniature in the range, and it's everything I love about Age of Sigmar in one hulking plastic monster. Besides the astounding attention to detail (providing lore tidbits and hidden secrets on what is basically a diorama), it seamlessly combines that well-trodden quasi-Viking aesthetic with a mind-bending boat of marble that sails through the earth, not water. It's a true show-stopper and centerpiece that is only bested by the Cities of Sigmar Cogfort, in my opinion.
Basically, it's everything that I think works so well about Age of Sigmar models in one miniature... and it's creativity like this that makes think the game deserves to do more than live in the shadow of its bigger sci-fi brother.
I'll be running a breakdown of each individual unit and character in the next week or so once I've finished putting them together, but until then, why not check out our guide to early Black Friday Warhammer deals?
- See all offers on Warhammer Age of Sigmar at Amazon
