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Warhammer: The Old World is like hanging out with a best friend you've not seen in ages. Even if months have passed, it feels as though you've never been away.
Basically? It's a flashback to the now-defunct Warhammer Fantasy Battles in its prime. When I'm leafing through a rulebook that's probably heavy enough to kill someone if thrown, it's like I'm 10 with my dog-eared 6th-edition rulebook again. There are the same, iconically grungy sketches. It contains almost 100 pages of richly illustrated lore. Lavish spreads feature photography of models many grew up with. In other words, it's… well, it's home. Although I've just scratched the surface in terms of building these kits and learning the game's mechanics, Warhammer: The Old World is exactly what I hoped it would be.
So, that leads us to the million-dollar question. Is there room for The Old World in 2024? And is it worth bothering with?
My answer is simple – absolutely.
Old dog, new tricks
I took a break from old-school Warhammer before its successor, Age of Sigmar, existed – and when I returned, I was gutted to realize that some of my favorite armies had been taken out back and shot. If you missed the World That Was, think classic swords 'n' sorcery with a bracing dose of grimdark. For me, it was the best kind of fantasy; gritty, yet full of imagination and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor.
It was also a place where hordes clashed. As opposed to the flexible skirmishes we get in Age of Sigmar or Warcry, it was a game of cavalry wedges and rank upon rank of spearmen. Like Legions Imperialis, it gave us the Warhammer battles I've always dreamed of.
The Old World brings that back. Ignore the new branding; this is a pick-and-mix of your favorite bits from Warhammer Fantasy Battles. While new models have been added to the range, most armies remain as they were in 2015 when the original game was put to bed.
The Old World doesn't use all-new models; it mostly repurposes ones from Warhammer Fantasy Battles. And while it would have been cool to see an all-new range of Bretonnians or Tomb Kings, there's an advantage to sticking with old favorites. If you have a classic army lying around, you can – and are encouraged to – use it. That sort of cross-compatibility is a welcome move.
Some things have changed, though, and arguably for the better. To start with, infantry bases are bigger now. Before, it would be a struggle to fit your troops into cohesive lines; bits would stick out and stop rows from aligning because the models were often bigger than their bases accounted for. With Warhammer: The Old World, those 20mm squares have leveled up into 25mm equivalents. I can't emphasize enough how much of a difference this makes. Besides allowing players to be more creative when building their armies (you don't need to worry as much about an outstretched sword tickling another model's nose, for example), there's rarely any fuss about whether your warriors will sit together nicely or not. In fact, the only issue I had was with the standard bearer of my Bretonnian Men-at-Arms, and even that was a small matter of tweaking his banner so it didn't sit on the troops behind him.
This means it should be less of a headache to construct your infantry from here on out, regardless of whether you pick up the Bretonnian or Tomb Kings box set. Happily, there are also movement trays (sold separately) with the appropriate sizing so that you can still use your old models with smaller bases. Whack them onto a movement tray and you'll have the right footprint for that unit.
Aging like a fine (Bordeleaux) wine
Naturally, there are plenty of new miniatures to gawk at too. Along with remade commanders, there are a couple of fresh units that, even from previews online, look gorgeous. Despite being a lot more dynamic thanks to the various advances that have been made since Fantasy Battles was shuttered, they still fit in beautifully with the old kits. They don't seem out of place.
As for those old minis, I have mixed (but generally positive) feelings. On the one hand, it's great to see them again – for me and many others, these are the models we grew up with. Plus, most have aged well. The Bretonnians I've been putting together still look great because they're so full of character. However, I'm not quite as keen on those classic Tomb Kings. They're still very handsome and the Tomb Guard are excellent, don't get me wrong, but you can really see how far we've come when going from those standard infantrymen to modern skeletons like the ones in Cursed City (which I maintain are some of the best Warhammer has made). That's not a 'problem,' per se, and the new additions more than make up for it. But it is worth remembering that some decades-old minis are being brought back into play. The Old World isn't all shiny and new.
Rather than being set in the same time period as Warhammer Fantasy Battles, The Old World takes place years before in a more optimistic era. That does mean certain heroes and factions (like Skaven) are off the table, but the period is particularly rich as far as lore goes. There have already been rumblings that we're heading toward the infamous Siege of Praag…
As for those old minis, I have mixed (but generally positive) feelings. On the one hand, it's great to see them again – for me and many others, these are the models we grew up with. Plus, most have aged well. The Bretonnians I've been putting together still look great because they're so full of character. However, I'm not quite as keen on those classic Tomb Kings. They're still very handsome and the Tomb Guard are excellent, don't get me wrong, but you can really see how far we've come when going from those standard infantrymen to modern skeletons like the ones in Cursed City (which I maintain are some of the best Warhammer has made). That's not a 'problem,' per se, and the new additions more than make up for it. But it is worth remembering that some decades-old minis are being brought back into play. The Old World isn't all shiny and new.
This introduces a couple of headaches. Those Bretonnians may still look excellent in 2024, but require a lot more cleanup than we're used to nowadays. As an example, the Men-at-Arms are attached by the shoulders to their sprue and are consequently a pain to remove. Actually, doing so can leave gouges or chunks of plastic that have to be filed off afterward. Similarly, mold lines feel more prominent here. Again, this isn't a disaster because we're talking about models that are very long in the tooth. Yet it's simply something to be aware of.
As for new players, they'll discover something unlike anything else offered by Warhammer right now
And that brings me onto another point. While newcomers will find plenty to enjoy here (I'd encourage anyone looking for a larger-scale tabletop wargame to check out battle reports like this one at the very least), it's worth bearing in mind that this is quite a dense system. As you may be able to tell from a rulebook that's 352 pages long, The Old World is crammed full of minutiae. That's part of the appeal, of course, and there's nothing else like it from Warhammer right now, but it's definitely something to consider nonetheless. This is quite an investment in terms of time and effort. If you'd prefer a lighter game you can dip in and out of (or one that won't take hours to play), you may be better off steering clear.
That investment seems worthwhile at first blush, though. I'm still getting my teeth into everything this resurrected system offers, but it ticks all the right boxes so far.
So, is Warhammer: The Old World worth a look? Or should it have been left in the vault? To put it simply, anyone who loved Fantasy Battles will probably love this one. As for new players, they'll discover something unlike anything else offered by Warhammer right now.
For more recommendations on what to play next, check out our guide to the best board games and the best tabletop RPGs.
