One source, a French called Heinrich Kemmler says (translated by pazuzu over at Warseer):
http://www.warhammer-forum.com/index.php?showtopic=175861

We'll see soon the incoming of a very big building, another wizard tower, but with a very different style than Witchfate Tor.

Also Anselminus reaction:

Yes, terrain coming in December, but no more really info about all terrain and which universe.

Personally, I am not thrilled about another Empire wizard tower with skulls. I want High Elf terrain without skulls, but anyway.

EDIT picture is up



(Kid Kyoto)

http://www.flamesofwar.com/online_store.aspx?CategoryID=2484

Bottom of the page...

Yes, I own that one, but it is as fragile as GF9's Warmachine terrain. But I prefer the resin Elven tower by Escenorama and their planned Elven house (webstore is currently worked upon, so this link http://escenorama.com/ doesn't work ATM)

I'd rather have some new terrain that doesn't look like it is affiliated to anyone, isn't "very big", and can be used in both game systems.

TBD wrote:I'd rather have some new terrain that doesn't look like it is affiliated to anyone, isn't "very big", and can be used in both game systems.

That's really, really hard to do. Even highest tech Fantasy stuff will look like primitive Steampunk terrain, while lowest tech 40k terrain will look like prefab gothic terrain. Even High Elf buildings don't look much like Eldar buildings. Making something for both systems will look out of place in both systems. The only stuff they could really do it with are things like forests, rivers, basically anything without something made by someone.

Hmm... is December becoming terrain month

I too would be bemused by the appearance of another wizard tower. If they're not going to bother with race specific terrain (beyond Graveyards and Arcane Ruins), I'd like to see a customisable townhouse.

-Loki- wrote:

TBD wrote:I'd rather have some new terrain that doesn't look like it is affiliated to anyone, isn't "very big", and can be used in both game systems.

That's really, really hard to do. Even highest tech Fantasy stuff will look like primitive Steampunk terrain, while lowest tech 40k terrain will look like prefab gothic terrain. Even High Elf buildings don't look much like Eldar buildings. Making something for both systems will look out of place in both systems. The only stuff they could really do it with are things like forests, rivers, basically anything without something made by someone.

There are feral worlds in the 40k universe. I have played games using castles and such. It is 40k scenery that can't be so easily used in fantasy.

But a nice Town house or Mill maybe would have use in other game systems as well as fantasy.

Flashman wrote:Hmm... is December becoming terrain month

I too would be bemused by the appearance of another wizard tower. If they're not going to bother with race specific terrain (beyond Graveyards and Arcane Ruins), I'd like to see a customisable townhouse.

They (graveyard/arcane ruins) were nice kits though.

I nearly bought the graveyard kit at full price yesterday so nice do I find it, and I don't even play WFB at the moment!

Another kit of that quality (and I will add value) can only be a good thing.

Colour me interested.

notprop wrote:I nearly bought the graveyard kit at full price yesterday so nice do I find it, and I don't even play WFB at the moment!

Another kit of that quality (and I will add value) can only be a good thing.

The graveyard is a wonderful set of terrain. I bought it on impulse, just as bought some of the other WHFB terrain kits, simply because it's so well done. Now I'm trying to work out a way of making it look more WH40k-ish, as I don't play WHFB. I think it might take a bit more than just sticking bits from the Cities of Death terrain onto the tombs...

Not sure about another wizard's tower. A millhouse sounds nice. Or, better still, some Orc buildings

Milhouse?

But I agree on 40k-ing the graveyard set. Seems like it would be idea for detailing the CoD kits with shrines/reliqueries and the like. I mean I have never seen a building that doesn't need more skullz!

Nagashek wrote:http://www.flamesofwar.com/online_store.aspx?CategoryID=2484

Bottom of the page...

The High Elf towers there are not GW new releases but another company's mimics.

Orlanth wrote:The High Elf towers there are not GW new releases but another company's mimics.

Naughty boys to mimic every detail of GW's fantastic Elven tower kit
(actually we all know that these are GF9 models)

The ruins actually look more like World of Warcraft's Blood Elves architecture - which, yes, is based on the same High Fantasy tropes that WHFB's High Elves are, but it's some of the specifics that are slightly different.

The old battle who stole first from Tolkien

Actually it's that very WoW/Blood Elf architecture thing that I really liked about the GF9 models. But since my WE army is Night Elves...

I just hope any new terrain isn't covered from bottom to top in iconography. The wizard's tower and that eternal stair Arcane Fulcrum are so busy that it detracts from the look (unless you just paint grey/dry-brush light grey/dry-brush white).

Something more akin to the Garden of Morr, the Chaos Temple and so on. Not so much bling.

Hope we get some DE terrain. There's plenty to be made. Or even new necron terrain

I hope it will be a giant skull shaped tower made entirely from human skulls on a base of skulls. GW scenery has always been lacking in the Skull department IMO.

George Spiggott wrote:I hope it will be a giant skull shaped tower made entirely from human skulls on a base of skulls. GW scenery has always been lacking in the Skull department IMO.

lol
Sarcasm overload, think George Spiggott wins this thread

I was actually hoping for some new 40k terrain soon, I really love the stuff that they have brought out like the bastions, cod sets and redemption fortress but some non-imperial terrain would be a nice for a change.

I'd like to see just a Warhammer house. Something like the chapel but smaller with maybe a couple of slight modification options and for around $25-35.

-Loki- wrote:

TBD wrote:I'd rather have some new terrain that doesn't look like it is affiliated to anyone, isn't "very big", and can be used in both game systems.

That's really, really hard to do. Even highest tech Fantasy stuff will look like primitive Steampunk terrain, while lowest tech 40k terrain will look like prefab gothic terrain. Even High Elf buildings don't look much like Eldar buildings. Making something for both systems will look out of place in both systems. The only stuff they could really do it with are things like forests, rivers, basically anything without something made by someone.

A good piece of terrain for both systems is the chaos hill with giant skulls around it and two spires. I use it all the time in 40k, but it's technically fantasy. No link, sorry, I'm typing on the phone. Someone who knows what I'm talking about can post a pic.

Temple of Skulls

That's the one. Perfect for both systems

That's generic enough to use in any fantasy or space opera setting.

I like Evil Stone Hedge better. But yeah it is possible to make good crossover terrain. The storm of magic gateway works too.

We don't need cross-over terrain so much, we need Fantasy terrain other than skull towers. Something like this:





Or anything from Warhammer Online.

So rather than skull towers, we get Elf towers.

Brilliant!

Why not elf towers made from the skulls of elves?

Or a new race of Elves called Skull Elves so you can have Skull Elf towers made from the skulls of Skull Elves in the shape of a skull?

Kanluwen wrote:So rather than skull towers, we get Elf towers.
Brilliant!

One step at a time. First we deal with the skull addiction, then the tower addiction
To be fair, Escenorama is working on regular Elven house.

I like that Monolith Icon tower. It looks like it'd work well as LotR terrain..

What we really need is more gamer orientated terrain.

http://brandlin.blogspot.com/2011/05/pryn-gul-tower-back-in-stock.html

Now you can gorge on snacks and claim it's actually for your hobby and is therefore actually an investment.

And not gamer gluttony.

..well, not the first tube anyway.

reds8n wrote: What we really need is more gamer orientated terrain.

http://brandlin.blogspot.com/2011/05/pryn-gul-tower-back-in-stock.html

Now you can gorge on snacks and claim it's actually for your hobby and is therefore actually an investment.

And not gamer gluttony.

..well, not the first tube anyway.

Not to forget that with Christmas stock in shops all those confectionery tubes needs to be recycled

Don't think of it as gamer gluttony, think of it as doing something green

Kroothawk wrote:We don't need cross-over terrain so much, we need Fantasy terrain other than skull towers. Something like this:





Or anything from Warhammer Online.

Oh GORGEOUS! Oh look at you! That DE tower is just what my girl is looking for! Now if we could get some wall sections to go with it, I could make a straight up DE fortress...

Gotta love that DE tower.

Nagashek wrote:Oh GORGEOUS! Oh look at you! That DE tower is just what my girl is looking for! Now if we could get some wall sections to go with it, I could make a straight up DE fortress...

There are. But these models are some kind of ceramic (and not cheap), so can break if the girl is too young:
http://www.monolith-icon.eu/store/index.php?products=product&prod_id=70

Heh, the "girl" in question is my girlfriend and 24. But slightly clumsy, so Ceramic walls might be less than ideal. I like them though.

Update time:

BramGaunt wrote:November White Dwarf will feature a HUGE new piece of terrain for WHFB:

The...

Skullvane Manse.

Its Huge. Huge like "look at the size of that thing!" it features an astronomy-tower and yes, it also has some huge skulls. I guess it's aproximatly as high as the mage tower, but it is at least three times as wide. You will like it.

reds8n wrote:"Lair of the Astromancer" I think.

Yap, that's right.

This thing looks like it could make a decent Inn if you convert it. The picture I saw was pretty blurry, though. The skulls appear only to be around the tower itself, and they don't look that bad.

Skullvane Manse is the best name, ever.

Kroothawk wrote:
Skullvane Manse.

Really GW!?

@Kroothawk: Some nice terrain, there.

Hi guys, GW here, we heard you liked skulls so we put more skulls in your skulls!

George Spiggott wrote:I hope it will be a giant skull shaped tower made entirely from human skulls on a base of skulls. GW scenery has always been lacking in the Skull department IMO.

So sigging this...

We really need some leaked photos. I'm having difficulty envisioning the number, quality, and placement of skulls on the Skullvane Manse: Lair of the Astromancer.

I finally got the garden of Morr and am really impressed how much you get for £20 (20% off).

If this Skullvane Manse (Cranium Street, Skulltop Mountain, Nogginshire, SKU 11X2) is anything like that in quality and value I will be very interested.

GW terrain has been very solid lately. I will likely buy it, but I'm behind on stuff, so the question is when.

Good news:
Astromancer=practicer of astromancy=Celestial Wizard
So his house might be an observatory like e.g. featured in this art for Warhammer Online:


And Bramgaunt said to that:

That's REALLY close to the actual building, minus the water, add some giant skulls under the tower.

I am really excited! A long wish come true!
Remember:

approximately as high as the mage tower, but it is at least three times as wide. You will like it.

Hrmh.

Yeah, I can work with that. Prepare for Vampirifaction!

GW's skull obsession is now beyond satire

I have to wonder why call it "Skullvane Manse" if it's an Astromancer's lair.

Kanluwen wrote:I have to wonder why call it "Skullvane Manse" if it's an Astromancer's lair.

Because "Astromancer's Lair" doesn't put together a bunch of random words in a vain/dumb attempt to sound gothic?

Man are you gonna regret those words if it turns out the lair has a giant windvane in the form of a skull, Flashman!

Kanluwen wrote:Man are you gonna regret those words if it turns out the lair has a giant windvane in the form of a skull, Flashman!

Yes, I suppose I will

Wow! I can make a replica of Kharazhan for my Mordheim league to raid... I mean, play in...

>.>
<.<

Flashman wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:Man are you gonna regret those words if it turns out the lair has a giant windvane in the form of a skull, Flashman!

Yes, I suppose I will

Be that as it may, you're probably safe from feeling regret over this, I think.

Even highest tech Fantasy stuff will look like primitive Steampunk terrain, while lowest tech 40k terrain will look like prefab gothic terrain.

Interesting that this comment comes from the UK where the entire modern civilization is built on, in and around ruins of 5,000 years worth of previous civilizations. Even in modern societies there are places where more primitive looking buildings are still around. It's why I visited Colchester on my one visit to the UK, to see the Roman ruins. And the castle there built by William The Conqueror after 1066 is built on top of the ruins of the Roman Temple of Claudius that was destroyed by Boudica. Even in North America we have ruins of previous civilizations like ancient cliff dwellings.

BrassScorpion wrote:

Even highest tech Fantasy stuff will look like primitive Steampunk terrain, while lowest tech 40k terrain will look like prefab gothic terrain.

Interesting that this comment comes from the UK where the entire modern civilization is built on, in and around ruins of 5,000 years worth of previous civilizations. Even in modern societies there are places where more primitive looking buildings are still around. It's why I visited Colchester on my one visit to the UK, to see the Roman ruins.

It is true and makes it rather brilliant.

I tend to use Fantasy/LOTR Scenery for games of 40k. Just because it fits.

Skullvane?

AHAHAHAHA!

Y'know, I'll forgive the Garden of Morr. It's a graveyard, so the presence of deathly images is fine. The skull-encrusted islands in Dread Fleet? They were pretty dippy, but what's a game with pirates without a place called 'Skull Island'?

But Skullvane?

Maybe 'skulldanium', that naturally occuring resource that you can see just under the ground on the Realm of Battle Board, is a real thing in the Warhammer World, and they use it as their main building material?

If I want some 'skulldanium', wouldn't I be finding it in a skull vein?

Skulls in Warhammer are like matryoshka dolls, there are skulls in your skulls in your skulls. "2 pound your skulls, 2 pound your skulls!" In the Warhammer World there's a vendor on every corner of every town flogging them.

Kanluwen wrote:If I want some 'skulldanium', wouldn't I be finding it in a skull vein?

Pfft! I bet you think this thread is about you...

BrassScorpion wrote:

Even highest tech Fantasy stuff will look like primitive Steampunk terrain, while lowest tech 40k terrain will look like prefab gothic terrain.

Interesting that this comment comes from the UK

I didn't realize the Australian flag next to my name looked like a UK flag.

Missed it. Sorry. Those flags are tiny.

I am not sure if Skullvane is the correct name. Someone claimed it was a retranslation from a Chinese website.

BrassScorpion wrote:Missed it. Sorry. Those flags are tiny.

No problem, Dutch

H.B.M.C. wrote:Skullvane?

AHAHAHAHA!

Y'know, I'll forgive the Garden of Morr. It's a graveyard, so the presence of deathly images is fine. The skull-encrusted islands in Dread Fleet? They were pretty dippy, but what's a game with pirates without a place called 'Skull Island'?

But Skullvane?

Maybe 'skulldanium', that naturally occuring resource that you can see just under the ground on the Realm of Battle Board, is a real thing in the Warhammer World, and they use it as their main building material?

So that means you're buying two right?

or three?

Jesus... reading your post gave me such a sense of deja vu Worglock. It's almost as if I'd read that post of yours a dozen times.

Oh wait... I have. Becuase that's all you ever post.

Troll elsewhere.

Darnok over at Warseer was told that the Skullvane Manse will be £45.
We will know more next week when the WD arrives.

Nagashek wrote:Wow! I can make a replica of Kharazhan for my Mordheim league to raid... I mean, play in...

>.>
<.<

I like your thinking Nagashek.


Reagrding the piece, will be interested in seeing it, sounds like something that could either be a Mordheim centre piece, or could feed a number of terrain projects for the skirmish game.

Sounds like some pretty cool terrain although I gotta wonder why GW just doesnt release giant skulls as stand alone pieces??

Then you'd have forum members going "Gah are those fethers now selling skulls? Real hobbyist can get them much cheaper here though the die-hards just use their own skull, no fething way is GW getting my money for a box of skulls."

Here a leaked pic by Bauhaus86 over at Warseer:

Could so turn that telescope into an orbital gun and make it a Chaosy gun emplacement.

I love it. It looks like a madman's shanty town with a giant telescope on top so he can peep at his neighboring madmen's shanty town.

IdentifyZero wrote:Hi guys, GW here, we heard you liked skulls so we put more skulls in your skulls!

Exactly.

GW is now proud to offer 476.9% more skull content than the leading competitor's skulls.

Kroothawk wrote:Here a leaked pic by Bauhaus86 over at Warseer:

I am loving it... just not loving the price: 46pounds... wow... that is 73.34 USD

My wallet cringes.

There is a seed of a decent building there but if those stupid giant skulls are part of the brick-work and not add-ons then there is absolutely zero chance that I will ever buy this thing.

I don't see the big deal about skulls.. If *I* had a bunch of extra giant skulls laying around I would totally put them on my house

Looks like they insisted on calling it that silly name so despite the fact that it's possibly one of the nicest scenery pieces they've ever produced, I'm going to have to pass.

It doesn't even have a skull shaped weather vane.

(All of the above is Flashman humour)

I am disappointed about the skull-shaped weather vane too Flashman.

But I'm already plotting how to make one!

That's pretty damn cool. I know this is just adding another voice to the chorus, but I wish those massive skulls weren't stuck on just below the observatory. That would bump it to a super-awesome rating in my mind.

I like it. It really feels Olde World. Its still Empire though.

Gladly I haven't built my Wizard's Tower yet. It looks like the Skull Observatory is the same size/shape, so maybe I can swap parts.

Might want to pick up another Manor House also, as the smaller building parts look similar and could be interchangeable.

I'm wondering why the Crenelated Battlements have Gargoyles and not more skulls.

Blech. They are way over-doing it when it comes to decorative elements. I think I will go with Tabletop World's stuff instead. Better made and about the same price considering I would need to buy it here in Australia anyway.

I actually kind of like it. Not for Warhammer, mind you, I don't see how to use it in an army sized game, but with some clever filing, this will fit right in on a Malifaux (or Warmahordes I suppose) board!

Ozymandias wrote:I actually kind of like it. Not for Warhammer, mind you, I don't see how to use it in an army sized game, but with some clever filing, this will fit right in on a Malifaux (or Warmahordes I suppose) board!

I was actually planning to use it for Mordheim/Malifaux/Dark Age/Infinity.
As I do with all my GW buildings, MBA buildings, and Mordheim card stuff.

Until I find reasonable priced future/modern buildings, I'm fine w fantasy ones.
I've seen the new MAS ones, and a couple others, but they are a bit too pricy for covering a board.

Kirasu wrote:I don't see the big deal about skulls.. If *I* had a bunch of extra giant skulls laying around I would totally put them on my house

But what would the neighbors think?

Nice chunky piece of terrain. GW have done a good job on this one for sure.

Very nice, it's almost like they're trying to release a complete set of Mordheim terrain, only without making it official!

filbert wrote:Temple of Skulls

Yet despite me groaning everytime I see GW has decked everything out in skulls and ruined a gaming board with skull pits I keep meaning to get round to buying one of those cheap. Ok yes it's main use would be chaos themed scenery but still, those skulls, I like and shall allow

So £36 (once you get a proper discount on it) doesn't look too bad. I think that I would have to see it IRL before buying it.

Then again I'd have to factor in demel and knife blades to de skull the fether, it might nit be so reasonable after all.

Meh, the GW skull fetish doesn't bother me too much - if I can suspend disbelief enough to pretend that little pieces of plastic and metal are super-human armies of the far future, engaged in smiting my enemies, then bothering about a few skull decorations pales in comparison.

Maybe the entire layer with the giant skulls can be left off, if th sprue allows... hopefully. You'd only have a shorter telescope tower as a result.

The winged skeleton uglyness at the bottom looks like it could be greenstuffed into rock without too much of a hassle.

So is this definitely being released in December and not November?

If the former, this is an impressively early pic leak - nice rumour control GW

I get that it's a magician's building and so doesn't have to worry about boring old concepts like gravity, but the observatory tower just looks silly balanced on a pointy rock and a couple of wooden beams - I mean, if you want to show magical architecture than why not go all out and just let it float in mid-air?

That said, rearranging the bits into a more 'sensible ' building(and using both tower tops) doesn't look difficult - I had a lot of fun doing the same with previous WHFB plastic building kits.

filbert wrote:Meh, the GW skull fetish doesn't bother me too much - if I can suspend disbelief enough to pretend that little pieces of plastic and metal are super-human armies of the far future, engaged in smiting my enemies, then bothering about a few skull decorations pales in comparison.

it makes sense for some armies but not others, that and, why...
why would you build an island shaped out of a pile of skulls
what possible function could that have?!
these buildings have no function besides "they have skulls oooooh" they look like tacky halloween decorations...that costs over 75 dollars...
maybe I don't want a ruined skull building, or to play on ruined skull buildings

Flashman wrote:So is this definitely being released in December and not November?

If the former, this is an impressively early pic leak - nice rumour control GW

The picture says "on sale november 19th" (right bottom).

Flashman wrote:So is this definitely being released in December and not November?

If the former, this is an impressively early pic leak - nice rumour control GW

The pic says on sale November 19th.

Ah, well spotted gents

filbert wrote:Meh, the GW skull fetish doesn't bother me too much - if I can suspend disbelief enough to pretend that little pieces of plastic and metal are super-human armies of the far future, engaged in smiting my enemies, then bothering about a few skull decorations pales in comparison.

It's not so much a suspension of disbelief issue so much as it is an I-don't-like-to-spend-tons-of-money-on-ridiculous-looking-model-kits issue.

Personally I'm beginning to think it's intentional. They are now just playing a game of seeing how many terrible skulls they can stick on their kits before they won't sell.

Kroothawk wrote:Here a leaked pic by Bauhaus86 over at Warseer:

Holy Carp! It DOES look just like Karazhan!!!

Clang wrote:I get that it's a magician's building and so doesn't have to worry about boring old concepts like gravity, but the observatory tower just looks silly balanced on a pointy rock and a couple of wooden beams - I mean, if you want to show magical architecture than why not go all out and just let it float in mid-air?

I like it, and the ramshackle nature appeals to me.

I have FAR TOO MUCH terrain as it is so I doubt I'll actually pull the trigger on this one, but I am tempted.

Can I somehow get the awesome left half of the building, without the over the top skully right side? Then it would be cool. (and cheaper too)

Not a fan. I like the observatory, but it's a little too small and a little too covered in twin-tail comets to make a good Defence Laser silo.

JOHIRA wrote:

filbert wrote:Meh, the GW skull fetish doesn't bother me too much - if I can suspend disbelief enough to pretend that little pieces of plastic and metal are super-human armies of the far future, engaged in smiting my enemies, then bothering about a few skull decorations pales in comparison.

It's not so much a suspension of disbelief issue so much as it is an I-don't-like-to-spend-tons-of-money-on-ridiculous-looking-model-kits issue.

Yeah, I was gonna say the same thing. The skulls thing doesn't bother me because I can't suspend my disbelief, it bothers me because it looks like gak on 99% of what they do.

I'd have bought this thing without the skulls. I don't even fething play WHF, probably never will, but that was literally the first thing that came to mind when the pic loaded. "Awesome, I want that. Too bad it's covered in huge, ridiculous skulls that would be more trouble than its worth trying to remove/cover up."

I have a serious question that I'd like to get honest answers for, I'm not joking around when I say this. How many of you guys buy GW terrain because it's covered in giant, ugly skulls? If you plan on buying this kit, would you still buy it if the skulls were gone? Likewise, if you're not buying it, would you have if it weren't covered in ugly skulls, or there was at least an option to leave that crap off?

H.B.M.C. wrote:Maybe 'skulldanium', that naturally occuring resource that you can see just under the ground on the Realm of Battle Board, is a real thing in the Warhammer World, and they use it as their main building material?

lol

I would purchase on release day if it did not have any skulls anywhere or at least the option to keep the skulls off. As it is, I'll look elsewhere for terrain.

Sidstyler wrote:I have a serious question that I'd like to get honest answers for, I'm not joking around when I say this. How many of you guys buy GW terrain because it's covered in giant, ugly skulls? If you plan on buying this kit, would you still buy it if the skulls were gone? Likewise, if you're not buying it, would you have if it weren't covered in ugly skulls, or there was at least an option to leave that crap off?

I really don't mind having the ground littered with skulls - I still add them to model bases. It's part of the look of WH40k and WHFB. But I really don't like the big ones. Big skulls look wrong. I've avoided buying terrain which has them (e.g. the Chaos temple). I like this new piece of terrain (I can't see any problem with the fact that it's defying gravity - it's a fantasy model), which I think could be made into a rather cool Ork Mek's workshop. But I will be puttying over the big skulls.

I like big skulls when it makes sense in context with the particular piece.

As I said earlier, the Garden of Morr? It's a grave yard, so it's a perfect place for skulls. Realm of Battle Board, with its rich veins of Skulldanium, not a good place for skulls. Even with this one I like it because it's an archetypal 'Skull Throne'... but the skull islands in Dreadfleet are just silly. A 'skull island', ok fine, but all of them are skull-filled islands and it's just OOT and silly.

A couple of years back I made my chaos army with GIANT SKULLS on the front of each rhino as my little joke about GW's imagery.

Since then they've topped me a dozen times over.

At least this one doesn't have skull rocks.

And did anyone notice that apparently the Astromancer moonlights as a member of the Ultramarines first company give the number of terminator honors on his house?

Kid_Kyoto wrote:
And did anyone notice that apparently the Astromancer moonlights as a member of the Ultramarines first company give the number of terminator honors on his house?

It's an Iron Cross.

They've been on Empire models as far back as I can remember.

Heck, the Knights are slathered with them.

Can't say I'm fan of it, Looks like it could have been quite neat, failed in execution.

Does that stone walkway the wizard is standing on link up with any other terrain? It kind of looks like it could connect to something else, but I can't think of any kits that it would link to.

Once again, an otherwise beautiful piece of GW terrain is ruined by a plethora of skulls. Enough with the skulls!

GW terrain is like GW vehicles. They couldn't fit a miniature dwarf in any of it. I make my own terrain so I can actually have something that at least looks like someone tried to build it with scale in mind. Vehicles I just have to suffer through for now.

Reminds me of the observatory in Warhammer Online. I echo the too much skullz comments.

It's like a cross between the Fortified Manor, the Garden of Morr and Witchfate Tor.
I love it.

N'Ferno wrote:Reminds me of the observatory in Warhammer Online.

It is very similar. This is a good thing IMO however.

make a good Defence Laser silo.

get.out.of.my.mind.



First thing I thought of when I saw it.

Two terrain pieces for the price of one.

reds8n wrote:

Doing it right.

Kroothawk wrote:

Doing it wrong.

Can you spot the difference?

Agreen Kroothawk. Boring. We have seen this all before.

Turn the page GW, we need something new and for non empire players.

I hate it. That Warhammer Online one looks like something out of some dark fairy tale. This one just looks stupid. If only they were more focused on making good terrain than satisfying their skull fetish.

I think it is hit or miss.

Not bad, considering that I have one of Daves that was free.

But with a grinder and some files, I think this would make a great jumping off point for making a generic Mad scientist/ Necromancer lab, or something like that.

Needs more skully skull skulls, though. Would really like to see some additional attachments, ( LIKE that laser from the Bastion, a control Terminal, or a quad laser.)

Add in something, such as a larger platform with the sacrifical victims, the piles of dead, or some areas on the piece that you can actually DO something with, and this would be an alltime cool buy from GW. As usual, though, they have something that looks halfway decent, but just doesn't fit the common sense test.

That set is a good jumping off point. Between that and that graveyard, there is a lot of ground to be covered if one were to get those and do it right.

One thing I would do would be to base that tower, either on a 1X1 or 2X2 board, so that it has some stability, and add in more rock, either plaster, styro, or some of that resic/ plastic stuff. I'd put in some areas that you can let the figures do stuff in and move, and I would more or less cut off that bottom house and make it out of popsical stick. balsa wood and stain it with chestnut ink and drybrush it grey/ darkangel green.

Add in elements of the graveyardset and manor house, and you could have a good center piece for Evil Yoda, when your playing your ebiquitous go through the scary area to meet the only guy that has the magic so and so.

Only issue I have with it is the price. AS USUAL, heaven forbid you cut and modify a GW terreign piece....

Hmm looks like another Mordheim terrain purchase for sure.

Although looking at it, other than for a Skirmish game, it seems a little unwieldy for a normal Warhammer battletop.

Red_Zeke wrote:Does that stone walkway the wizard is standing on link up with any other terrain? It kind of looks like it could connect to something else, but I can't think of any kits that it would link to.

I was thinking that too. I would be quite pleased with a set of disperate, interconnecting pieces, sorta like the Garden's graves.

Looks nice. I'd be stocking up on all of their terrain sets if they hadn't decided to do the whole Southern Hempsphere thing...

yeah...skulls don't make things cool...they make it look like it was designed by a 13 year old

Sidstyler wrote:Can you spot the difference?

Of course, but that's hardly a fair comparison. The artwork is on a much larger scale, for a start. The model has to be (a) practical and (b) on the same scale as the minis and the other terrain pieces (and there seems to be some scope for interchangeability).

It's also worth remembering that GW don't expect you to build it exactly the way it's supplied - look at the amount of kitbashed WHFB terrain they've displaued. If there's something you don't like, change it. Unless you've become such passive consumers that you expect everything to be given to you exactly as you want it. Yes, the huge skulls are silly to many of us, but there are also a lot of nice features.

Well its nicely made and the size is certainly impressive.

Yet i prefer a generic terrain that can go with any army.

Tailgunner wrote:It's also worth remembering that GW don't expect you to build it exactly the way it's supplied

Are you sure about that? If that really was the case then the kits would be more modular and more generic (like the Cities of Death stuff). This is the opposite end of the spectrum here.

Am i the only one that thinks over sized skulls on GW scenary makes the piece look like a cheap children's toy?

If everything was left small and intricate, it really gives a feeling of extra details.

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Tailgunner wrote:It's also worth remembering that GW don't expect you to build it exactly the way it's supplied

Are you sure about that? If that really was the case then the kits would be more modular and more generic (like the Cities of Death stuff). This is the opposite end of the spectrum here.

I think that's because they seemingly are moving away from the 'generic' pieces (at least for Fantasy) and moving more towards a specific theme/locale.

Dreadstone Blight, etc all seem to have been built under the assumption of them being a single locale within the Warhammer world.

If you think about it generic modular building don't really work in pre industrial settings.

You would expect each building to be at least slightly different in the Warhammer world.

I have made generic fantasy housing from foamcore and balsa, simples. Having "bespoke" special buildings and centre pieces ready to go is quite handy.

Could have been amazing, ruined by stupid skullz! Sigh. And worse, people defend the skullz. I dunno, maybe I'm no longer the target demographic for warhammer.
Wish they were a separate piece.

Tailgunner wrote:If there's something you don't like, change it. Unless you've become such passive consumers that you expect everything to be given to you exactly as you want it. Yes, the huge skulls are silly to many of us, but there are also a lot of nice features.

Have you seen the size of those things? Assuming they're actually molded into the walls you'd end up with giant, flat, skull-shaped sections on each side, and while you can always try to green stuff a brick pattern to match the surrounding wall, it'll still stand out and won't look anywhere near as good as if they had just made the walls normal brick walls to begin with.

I'll forgive them if the giant skulls are optional, but judging from the pic I doubt it.

Da Boss wrote:Could have been amazing, ruined by stupid skullz! Sigh. And worse, people defend the skullz. I dunno, maybe I'm no longer the target demographic for warhammer.
Wish they were a separate piece.

We're not. But I seriously don't see how even 12-year-olds can think stuff like this is cool. Even when I was a kid I didn't think putting skulls on everything made it "better". I mean if it's done tastefully or makes sense in context, yeah, but an observatory (presumably owned by a wizard of some type) isn't really something I would expect to be covered in giant skull decorations that literally cover the entire walls, built on top of rocks with giant skeleton sculptures carved into them just because.

I literally feel like we're being trolled, like GW saw the sarcastic "lol skullz" posts on forums, and then got pissed off and decided to waste money making awful-looking kits just to spite us. "Oh yeah, you like that? Here's some fething skulls for you, jackass! Have fun paying us $90 for that kit and then wasting hours shaving half the plastic off of it!"

That's just my opinion though, and no offense to anyone who does like it since I assume you probably have plans to "fix" that stuff. I'm just saying I personally wouldn't want to bother with it.

Da Boss wrote:Could have been amazing, ruined by stupid skullz! Sigh. And worse, people defend the skullz. I dunno, maybe I'm no longer the target demographic for warhammer.
Wish they were a separate piece.

Giant skulls are the least of the problems.
I'm baffled that no one has brought up the fact the whole observatory part is only touching a small rockspire that couldn't even be able to support a small wooden outhouse.
the Stone observatory is just hanging there in the air, supported by couple of small sticks and wooden bridge.

If the observatory was on top of a big mountain, or attached to a big honking castle from side, it would look ok and plausible. Now it just looks weird hanging there.

Sidstyler wrote:
I'll forgive them if the giant skulls are optional, but judging from the pic I doubt it.

That is what I was wondering if those skulls are separate and optional.

I'm going to be more interested in how these components might integrate with the existing kits.

LunaHound wrote:Am i the only one that thinks over sized skulls on GW scenary makes the piece look like a cheap children's toy?

If everything was left small and intricate, it really gives a feeling of extra details.

even smaller skulls would "fit" a tad better but I just make my own terrain, and keep it skull free

It's always possible the panels are reversible so you don't have to show the skulls, but who knows.

GW terrain seems to to be less and less customizible these days, especially the one off made in China stuff.

The best bet would be to hang banners over them.

Actually I love this new terrain, but I guess, I will leave the skull walls out (think they are separate, otherwise a knife will do) , making it a bit shorter, but okay for an observatory.
Edit: Like this one posted by N810 over at Warseer:

Worst case, I'm sure you can reverse the walls and then use plasticard and green stuff to make a textured brick wall on the other side.

Hell, you can get the stuff used to make Zimmerit on Panzer models too.

My point is still the same.
GW can do without making everything "MOAR SKULLZ"

It doesn't matter if people can fix it by plasticard or greenstuff, just stop adding skulls to everything.

Kid_Kyoto wrote:

The best bet would be to hang banners over them.

Aye, this is what I was thinking, if not reversable, or not attached of course. Will also probably layer rocks over the thing in the base.

Great dissapointment. The drawn art it supposedly looks like had me really exited about this, but the leaked picture is just awful.
I can only agree with other remarks about ornaments looking silly and out of place (especially the skeleton on the rock base); about the oservatory looking unbalanced on that pointy rock; and most of all the unreasonable failure to execute a really, really cool idea for actual scenery. Darn it to heck, it depress me to think how nice this ought to have been. I dont even play fantasy battle and still felt the urge to get an astonomers lair, had they done it right.

Well, I guess its special enough to make some people exited, and Im truly happy for those guys, just really dissapopinted at my own expectations I guess.


Edit: By the way, anyone who dont like the large skulls on the observatory might be able to use the options for "crenelated battlements" to cover up/exchange the "skull walls" (but it looks like the battlement option still has skull walls, indicating that skulls are not optional in any way)

Seriously hate the skulls. It's not even funny anymore.

Really loving that tower. Think I may just have to splurge and pick that up.. more excited about this than all the necron stuff I've been waiting a decade for...

Now I can relive my childhood with a GW official Castle Greyskull

Darkness wrote:Now I can relive my childhood with a GW official Castle Greyskull

Don't even joke, I've already been tempted to have a Necromancer wearing a skull mask for my Vampires.

Skeletor demands fealty!

I HAVE THE POWER!!!!!!!!!

I don't think trying to be like old Masters of the Universe playsets is a good thing, though.

Well, not until our models start looking like pride parade rejects.

Sidstyler wrote:I don't think trying to be like old Masters of the Universe playsets is a good thing, though.

It's not necessarily a bad thing either.

Castle Greyskull was flippin' awesome.

It was flipping awesome for all of 15 minutes before by bro fell on it xmas day :(

Funny thing is, Castle Greyskulls has LESS skulls than this and most of GW's latest terrain. Sad really when you think about it.

A few years back I was thinking of going looking for my old Castle Greyskull to use in Warhammer, but I thought "No, it will look too cheesy". Little did I know. Little did I know.

I think it would be better as two buildings.

For a start its an excuse to get rid of the stone death sculpture. It should be easy enough to cover the hole to appear as bedrock.

Overhanging foundations is cool, but not suspended on a couple of planks, even for a wizards tower.

I wonder if oneday GW will call this age the 'skull period' as they now look back at the early-mid nineties with no small amount of embarassment as the 'red period' because idots like John Blanche nearly always painted orc metal baldes a bright crimson.

speaking of other GW terrain kits that they could have done more with,,, Was I the only one waiting patiently for other chapter versions of the fortress of redemption thing? It was odviously sooo Dark Angels that it almost made me cry, a new centre section and a few new plates and it could have been any of the five or six main chapters?

Space Wolf, Blood Angels, Ultra Marine, Templars, Yeah I can't remember the other two either??? there are more than five chapters arn't there? Ohhh wait Crimson fists and those yellow guys..... Ummm Imperial fisting or something?

Yeah, I always say Space Marines don't get enough as it is. I'd like to see GW pay a little more attention to them with new models and chapter-specific terrain.

...or how about no.

Alright but would you say no to a fortress of redemption add on kit with a Imperial guard theme to it, most if not all the chapter specific iconography is on pannels that can be changed and I'm sure it wouldn't be impossible for the guys at forgeworld to knock up pannels and a central tower section fo several of the recognised and marketable Imperial guard regiments?

I'd rather they focus on updating armies and replacing outdated kits than putting out more god-damned Imperial terrain. Especially if these giant, obnoxious skulls are literally going to be on every damn kit from now on.

I better go buy the landing pad, bastions, etc. while I still can, before GW decides to re-release them with huge skulls that can't be left off.

Also, I'm not sure I see what makes the Fortress specific to just the Dark Angels chapter. It's covered in skulls, but so is everything else. Oh, no, there may be one or two panels with DA-specific iconography, which IIRC is optional, so any chapter could make use of it.

Converting it into something more like the Warhammer Online version wouldn't be impossible?

yeah I'd rather see a new eldar codex then more imperial buildings that I will never buy (A because, well I play chaos for one and B, I find them ugly, but its mostly A-I simply have no uses for them, my secondary army is orks, which, yeah way too much converting there, when I could make my own terrain and have fun with it!)
if they're gonna come out with terrain, it shouldn't leave half the armies with nothing
i know they have a hard on for space marines, i don't see why they don't just make the game marines vs marines (maybe guard) and quit trying to pretend they give a gak about anything else

Am i the only one who loves the Fortress of Redemption? That tower is great, and the Space Marine Statue fits right on top of it perfectly. Makes a great centerpiece.

And what they should have done for this (and they may still have - we won't know until we see the sprues) is the same thing they did for the Arcane Ruins kit. That fit is covered in skulls... but only if you want it to be. All the skulls and daemonic faces are completely optional and are not required at all. You can leave the stone blank if you want, or put some skulls on, or put every skull on. That should happen more often. I love the Arcane Ruins kit.

I'm not GW fanboy, but I still kinda geek out over all their terrain.

The Fortress isn't really that bad, I've just never felt like spending the money on it.

I'd build and paint it if I got it as a prize but would never buy it

Fortress of Redemption is fine, its a fortress made for SM anyways, its ok for it to reek of SM

Astromancer manse though, no its almost as if the original artist created a nice little sculpt. Then the GW HQ looks at it and screams MOAR SKULLZ.

I bet the same department that made Chaos more chaos by MOAR SKULLS AND SPIKES.

They obviously dont know what should be subtle, and when going "full this word is not welcome in Dakka" wont work.

Luna... Strike that word from your Dakka vocabulary. You have been warned about this before, stop playing with fire

Skullvane Manse almost looks like it should be covered in spikes...

On the subject of Chaos though I would prefer less spikes and more Geiger Alien mutations/biomechanical stuff. Sort of like the possessed models but without the goofy, cartoonish faces, like the armor that looks like it's warped and become more like bone or muscle. You know, stuff that looks more sinister, demonic or otherworldly. But no, nobody in the studio working on Chaos models can get any more creative than "Durr, Spehss Mahreens with spikes and skullz x2!"

It's a great building, other than the skulls all over it.

I wish they'd make those bits reversible so those of us who don't want our terrain to look like an 80s toy fort.

I may well look into buying it an converting it but... wouldn't it be easier to have all that skull gak as add ons on a sprue rather than integral parts of the kit?

That tower is ******* unreal. I know what I'm getting for Christmas.

Knitted socks from grandma?

George Spiggott wrote:I hope it will be a giant skull shaped tower made entirely from human skulls on a base of skulls. GW scenery has always been lacking in the Skull department IMO.

Huzzah.

Actually, the biggest skull of the model is on the backside of the rock, not shown on the pic above.
Also note that instead of the observatory, you have the option for a normal tower (see small pic upper left). While the radius is a bit larger, it might be a basis for non-skull conversions.

The WD contains some more or less obvious rules suggestions for including the terrain in normal and "Storm of Magic" games.

Does it make me too much of a fanboy to say that I really, really dig the GW terrain? I like a lot of the other-party stuff too, but even with all the skulls I really like the look of the new observatory.

No. It doesn’t make you a fanboy. I despise GW (especially the way they mistreat Rest-of-World gamers and the bs surrounding Failcost), but I can’t help love their terrain. Of course, I don’t love all their terrain, and I dislike this wizard’s tower thingy for the same reason I dislike this (the one on the right). It’s the almost-comical and utterly needless skull carvings in the base. It takes it from ‘too many skuls’ to, as someone said before, 80’s action figure play-set land.

I think that it looks pretty cool, better if it didn't have skulls on it, although I do have once question, if it is the lair of an astromancer why does it have a metal wizard outside the front door?

GW, you just keep releasing those buildings and one day I WILL build the most awesome Mordheim table ever.

Krellnus wrote:I do have once question, if it is the lair of an astromancer why does it have a metal wizard outside the front door?

Probably visiting his old pal the astomancer, notice how he is about to leave, probably after discussing some important signs in the winds of magic. I bet they have a grumpy/friendly relationship always arguing about best ways to cast magic and such, smoking lustrian tobacko and drinking tea every Hexentag. Its usually the metal magus visiting the astromancer, because he enjoy long walks.
Atleast that is what I suppose GW intended.

I really like the tower. I like a lot of their terrain. I'd like it a little more if... well, that's been adequately covered here, I think.

I don't think $75 is out of line, depending on how large the kit is. No one blinks at paying $66 or whatever for a Derp Raven, and those are actually smaller, and less complex, right?

The comments on this thread in general have been top shelf, btw.

Im so glad they expanded on the name.. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted it when it was JUST called Skullvane Manse.. But now that its the Skullvane Manse - Lair of the Astromancer.. Sign me up!

Kroothawk wrote:The WD contains some more or less obvious rules suggestions for including the terrain in normal and "Storm of Magic" games.

"Obvious" rules suggestions being "You could have the skulls shoot magical lasers out of their eyes that kill entire units on a roll of 3+ on 2d6!"

Which would be just like the normal magic phase in WHF 8th, I hear, with the combined firepower of each skull wiping out over half an army in a single turn.



...so anyway, has anyone else thought that maybe the kit is actually fine and we're all just getting too old for this stupid game? :\

Well, I guess you guys would be, luckily I dodged the WHF bullet when 8th came out and put my DE army on hold indefinitely, lol...but it could apply to 40k or WHF, really.

Someone posted this to the gallery:



On terrain, the DA Fortress is another good example of wasted potential.

IF the tower was compatible with the bastion kit so you could replace it...

IF they had generic Imperial Icons...

IF it was modular so it could be assembled several ways...

I would have bought it.

But GW basically said here's you Space Marine Dream House, build it one way, and like it.

So I said no.

I really like the manse kit, and seen as i never really spend anything on terrain, I'd be more than happy to fork out for this one

Fayric wrote:

Krellnus wrote:I do have once question, if it is the lair of an astromancer why does it have a metal wizard outside the front door?

Probably visiting his old pal the astomancer, notice how he is about to leave, probably after discussing some important signs in the winds of magic. I bet they have a grumpy/friendly relationship always arguing about best ways to cast magic and such, smoking lustrian tobacko and drinking tea every Hexentag. Its usually the metal magus visiting the astromancer, because he enjoy long walks.
Atleast that is what I suppose GW intended.

Aaaah now that explains it!
Oh wait this is GW, no it doesn't, we best move along before our minds explode.

Sidstyler wrote:

Kroothawk wrote:The WD contains some more or less obvious rules suggestions for including the terrain in normal and "Storm of Magic" games.

"Obvious" rules suggestions being "You could have the skulls shoot magical lasers out of their eyes that kill entire units on a roll of 3+ on 2d6!"

Which would be just like the normal magic phase in WHF 8th, I hear, with the combined firepower of each skull wiping out over half an army in a single turn.



...so anyway, has anyone else thought that maybe the kit is actually fine and we're all just getting too old for this stupid game? :\

Well, I guess you guys would be, luckily I dodged the WHF bullet when 8th came out and put my DE army on hold indefinitely, lol...but it could apply to 40k or WHF, really.

8th Edition is fine and Dark Elves are still good.

The only locals that have problems with 8th are "those guys" that needed to win to validate themselves.

They're not missed.

Kid_Kyoto wrote:Someone posted this to the gallery:



................
I would have bought it.

But GW basically said here's you Space Marine Dream House, build it one way, and like it.

So I said no.

Wow, your skills with Microsoft Crayon are really coming on! [tips hat]

To be fair I recollect some nice buildings that integrate the FoS into other kits like the CoD stuff.

I don't see how someone with such mad skillz with the crayonz couldn't integrate it into their plans.


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[checks facts]

[re-tips hat to aka_mythos]

Ugghhhhh, more fantasy scenery? There's a million and one companies that make stuff like this. Give us more 40k scenery. Looking at the same old bastions, defense lines, crashed aquila landers and Fortress of redemtions get's really old.

I dont mind the look of it.

Concept wise it's a neat piece. The skulls annoy the heck out of me though. It turns a good piece into something silly imho. If they had made them add-ons, that would have allowed you to either make it skulltastic or not as the mood hit ya. To me it feels like they came really close to awesome and then unfortunately whiffed when they hit it with the skull bedazzler.

Sidstyler wrote:

Tailgunner wrote:If there's something you don't like, change it. Unless you've become such passive consumers that you expect everything to be given to you exactly as you want it. Yes, the huge skulls are silly to many of us, but there are also a lot of nice features.

Have you seen the size of those things? Assuming they're actually molded into the walls you'd end up with giant, flat, skull-shaped sections on each side, and while you can always try to green stuff a brick pattern to match the surrounding wall, it'll still stand out and won't look anywhere near as good as if they had just made the walls normal brick walls to begin with.

I'll forgive them if the giant skulls are optional, but judging from the pic I doubt it.

That's just my opinion though, and no offense to anyone who does like it since I assume you probably have plans to "fix" that stuff. I'm just saying I personally wouldn't want to bother with it.

Yeah, that's the thing. They do look out of place/silly but they'd be easy enough to "fix" by filing or cutting the skulls off and covering those walls with brick-textured card, which is easy enugh to get from model railway stores. Then you've got quite an interesting piece of fantasy architecture. Should you have to do that? Of course not, but we've only got what we've got...


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http://www.antenocitisworkshop.com/wargaming-materials-tools/sheet-materials/embossed-styrene-sheets/slaters-plasticard.html

If I'm paying that much for some terrain, I don't want to have to make a bunch of modifications to make it tolerable to me. If I wanted to fart around cutting brick shapes into greenstuff or plasticard, I'd make my own terrain for a fraction of the cost and to my exact specifications.

By going for the skull heavy look on all of their terrain, GW are alienating me as a potential customer for that terrain.

I'm not sure what GW would lose exactly by leaving the giant stupid looking skulls off the terrain. Kids will still like it just as much minus Skullz, and I haven't seen a single poster say that they would not like it without them, whereas numerous posters have said that they hate them and will not buy the terrain piece because of them. This seems to point to me that the design choice is losing GW business needlessly.

scipio.au wrote:Yeah, that's the thing. They do look out of place/silly but they'd be easy enough to "fix" by filing or cutting the skulls off and covering those walls with brick-textured card, which is easy enugh to get from model railway stores.

GW makes "the best miniatures in the world". We should not have to buy other companies' products just to "fix" their poor designs. The design should have been good in the first place.

Yeah, I think I already touched on that point.

scipio.au wrote: Should you have to do that? Of course not, but we've only got what we've got...

But feel free to bitch at me as though I'd said it were wonderful in every way.


Seriously though, maybe I come from an earlier age than some posters where we used to have to make or kitbash all our scenery ourselves for a long time - bits of 1:35 scale diorama was amongst the best we could get for a very long time, and that stuff needed work. So seeing a kit that is flawed but easily fixable isn't sending me into palpitations.
1) leave skulls off
2) add textured card (if needed)
3) profit!

Worglock wrote:

Sidstyler wrote:

Kroothawk wrote:The WD contains some more or less obvious rules suggestions for including the terrain in normal and "Storm of Magic" games.

"Obvious" rules suggestions being "You could have the skulls shoot magical lasers out of their eyes that kill entire units on a roll of 3+ on 2d6!"

Which would be just like the normal magic phase in WHF 8th, I hear, with the combined firepower of each skull wiping out over half an army in a single turn.



...so anyway, has anyone else thought that maybe the kit is actually fine and we're all just getting too old for this stupid game? :\

Well, I guess you guys would be, luckily I dodged the WHF bullet when 8th came out and put my DE army on hold indefinitely, lol...but it could apply to 40k or WHF, really.

8th Edition is fine and Dark Elves are still good.

The only locals that have problems with 8th are "those guys" that needed to win to validate themselves.
They're not missed.

Implying that it is much more difficult to reliably win in 8th ed? I agree. 8th edition is not great, but thankfully I have plenty of good skulls... I mean TERRAIN to balm my cares.

Nagashek wrote:

Worglock wrote:

Sidstyler wrote:

Kroothawk wrote:The WD contains some more or less obvious rules suggestions for including the terrain in normal and "Storm of Magic" games.

"Obvious" rules suggestions being "You could have the skulls shoot magical lasers out of their eyes that kill entire units on a roll of 3+ on 2d6!"

Which would be just like the normal magic phase in WHF 8th, I hear, with the combined firepower of each skull wiping out over half an army in a single turn.



...so anyway, has anyone else thought that maybe the kit is actually fine and we're all just getting too old for this stupid game? :\

Well, I guess you guys would be, luckily I dodged the WHF bullet when 8th came out and put my DE army on hold indefinitely, lol...but it could apply to 40k or WHF, really.

8th Edition is fine and Dark Elves are still good.

The only locals that have problems with 8th are "those guys" that needed to win to validate themselves.
They're not missed.

Implying that it is much more difficult to reliably win in 8th ed? I agree. 8th edition is not great, but thankfully I have plenty of good skulls... I mean TERRAIN to balm my cares.

No, it's not. That said, bad people/players that relied on one trick ponies found their pony running off into the hills without them. It takes actually strategy now and a little bit of luck. Or at least not being an awful person that blows up their wizards on turn one.

ChorusLucia wrote:Does it make me too much of a fanboy to say that I really, really dig the GW terrain? I like a lot of the other-party stuff too, but even with all the skulls I really like the look of the new observatory.

Nope, it just makes you a very normal and happy customers, and GW is happy to have created something to your liking.

A fanboy would be, telling that we have no right to not like skulls because its made by GW which you arnt <3

Da Boss wrote:I'm not sure what GW would lose exactly by leaving the giant stupid looking skulls off the terrain. Kids will still like it just as much minus Skullz, and I haven't seen a single poster say that they would not like it without them, whereas numerous posters have said that they hate them and will not buy the terrain piece because of them. This seems to point to me that the design choice is losing GW business needlessly.

Exactly! I don't see how GW would lose out by making them optional or just leaving them off altogether. People who want them still have them, people who don't can still use the kit without having to modify it.

God I hate these damn skulls, and I hate how they insist it's a feature and not the eyesore that it really is. It's like if a car salesman tried to convince you that the ugly black plastic trim pieces on a car actually made it "better" than if they were just painted to match the body...anyone know what I'm talking about?



It just looks like someone at the factory forgot to paint the bumpers. This is what your skulls remind me of GW, it's ugly and it sucks and I'd feel like a tool for spending money on it. STOP IT. STOP IT NOW.

That's just my opinion though, lol.

Worglock wrote:

Nagashek wrote:

Worglock wrote:

Sidstyler wrote:

Kroothawk wrote:The WD contains some more or less obvious rules suggestions for including the terrain in normal and "Storm of Magic" games.

"Obvious" rules suggestions being "You could have the skulls shoot magical lasers out of their eyes that kill entire units on a roll of 3+ on 2d6!"

Which would be just like the normal magic phase in WHF 8th, I hear, with the combined firepower of each skull wiping out over half an army in a single turn.



...so anyway, has anyone else thought that maybe the kit is actually fine and we're all just getting too old for this stupid game? :\

Well, I guess you guys would be, luckily I dodged the WHF bullet when 8th came out and put my DE army on hold indefinitely, lol...but it could apply to 40k or WHF, really.

8th Edition is fine and Dark Elves are still good.

The only locals that have problems with 8th are "those guys" that needed to win to validate themselves.
They're not missed.

Implying that it is much more difficult to reliably win in 8th ed? I agree. 8th edition is not great, but thankfully I have plenty of good skulls... I mean TERRAIN to balm my cares.

No, it's not. That said, bad people/players that relied on one trick ponies found their pony running off into the hills without them. It takes actually strategy now and a little bit of luck. Or at least not being an awful person that blows up their wizards on turn one.

The only "trick pony" that used to work but doesn't now is Fear.

The other things that are gone (or nerfed to unrecognizability) that made the game MORE strategic are: Movement, Charging, Flanking, Flyers, and March Blocking. Oh, and ironicly: Initiative.

In my area (YMMV) there is a new trick: Hordes of multi attack models with S4ap/S5. That's all the game is now. Massive, rediculous levels of carnage. That isn't Strategy, that's Medieval warfare. IE: no tactics, no flanking, no surrounding, just charging straight forward and screaming, hoping that you get enough kills to win, then the battlefield looking like the aftermath of Stirling in Braveheart. 10-15 dudes still standing, everyone else dead, fled, or dying. Strategical. The worst part being is that it is far more difficult to mitigate the OMFG factor of ridiculous units like that by using strategy of your own. And yes, I know that it is still POSSIBLE, my point is that it isn't at all what it was. You can't win in the movement phase anymore like you once could.

Bringing this back on topic, the asthetic of the terrain matches the designer intent of the game: MOAR skullz on buildings, MOAR skullz on the battlefield. These things match.

It's another generic wizard tower...boring to say the least.

Concerning the 8th discussion...yes, 8th has been dumbed down. A lot. The entire metagame now is about having huge infantry units, no tactics involved, just ram them into enemy units and hope for the best. In the very best case, you also own a few war machines that can soften up enemy units before you charge them...no need to have skill, you don't even have to guess range anymore. If you want to be good at 8th, just start playing Skaven...can't go wrong with them. Ridiculously overpowered right now and fool-proof yet expensive.

Could this be the next Warhammer terrain? (courtesy to Daniel Brouwer):

Skullhouse Awesome ... That is truly amazing!

I think it needs more skulls. How will anyone know it's a GW piece without at least 5 skulls?

I like the WHFB Terrain.

It fuses a mixture of gothic, grim dark and Tudor era and makes it rather unique.

Mind I think some of GW other terrain is better, such as the Ruins of Osgiliath and the generic Citadel Scenery.

that observatory would be amazing if it wasnt marketed to ten year olds. Bummer.

From Friday's GW post

On a product-related note, many of you will have noticed in White Dwarf that we were due to release the Middenland Tufts, Mordheim Turf and Skullvane Manse on the 19th November. Sadly our crack team of Warhammer horticulturalists haven't managed to harvest enough turf as yet and we're still waiting for it to arrive in the warehouse. As such, the Turf and Tufts will go on advance order on the 3rd December, and will be available to buy in our Hobby Centres on the 10th. Meanwhile, the release of Skullvane Manse has been slightly delayed due to a misalignment of the stars. A local wizard is currently investigating the phenomenon, but he believes that the kit will be on sale within the next few weeks. As soon as we know more information we'll let you know here on the blog.

from

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/blogPost.jsp?aId=18800010a


One could not help but notice that in one of the pictures



that the sofa, in true GW fashion, also appears to be have a skull growing out of it.

Perhaps then this is in fact just something that happens in Nottingham -- I've long had my suspicions about the general oddness of "folks" north of Watford -- and they merely replicate this in their terrain pieces, innocently assuming this is what happens everywhere else in the world too. It would certainly explain a lot.





...


.... possibly.

Maybe they forgot to add enough skulls to the tower

What are the Middenland Tufts amd Mordheim Turf supposed to be? I've never heard of them.

Anung Un Rama wrote:What are the Middenland Tufts amd Mordheim Turf supposed to be? I've never heard of them.

It's basically static grass for those who...

...actually, I can't complete that sentence, because I don't see the benefit of the product at all. Let me try again...

It's basically static grass sold in tufts which you then glue to the base creating pretty much the same effect as normal static grass.

Strips of static grass you normally find in model and train shops. Army Painter has a nice selection of those found here.

Grass? And here I thought it would be some terrain piece I've missed.

Really nice kit imo, great potential for some conversion work.

I got curious about this piece, as it was in my local Gw today.

The GW website didnt show sprues but I did find an unboxing here:

http://itslikewatchingpaintdry.blogspot.com/2011/12/skullvane-manse-unboxing.html

Some comments.

1. Its all big 'chunky' sprues to minimise the number of pieces. This can be good as the building looks sturdy, but it also makes cuato9misation a bitch.

2. There are skulls everywhere, while that was to be expected there would be many and some of them big, however almost everything is decorated by skulls. This makes removing them a problem.

3. The large rosette of skulls on the tower itself is molded on. In fact the second storey of the tower is molded onto the first, the toweerr being made of verticle panels. There is no way to deskull the tower without a major conversion job. The blockled up windows of skulls can be hollowed out, however the rosette will leave ugly skull shaped marks. Anyone thinking of de-skulling will need to stucco the upper storey.

4. On the up side the model is sturdy tall and yet narrow so that it will not interfere much with play.


I love ramshackle Gothic buildings and they are rarely seen outside a Harry Potter film. I want to like this piece but there are too many skulls. Gothic and skulls goes together, but you could have had the odd skull above a doorway to do that. We get those too, but...

Tempted but no.

I love it, I don't play fantasy but I still bought it haha still I think it needs more skulls.

... and no I am no 13 year old.

I wish, I fecking wish, they would make the Empire terrain look like it did in Warhammer Online. Some of that stuff was crazy (the ship on stilts inn, the wizard's college etc) but none of it was covered in skulls.

I really love the original sketch for this building. I love the building underneath all the skulls.

But covering it in all that crap makes it look like a He-Man toy or a fish tank decoration (in very poor taste).

Lookit.

MGS: that's beautiful, man! Slann-themed GW terrain, yes?

Looks like MeanGreanStompa's image is maybe a selection of aquarium decor?

After reading the "what's new today" article I hoped that the warhammer fortress was available for purchase, but they have it in the article just not for purchase :(

Balance wrote:Looks like MeanGreanStompa's image is maybe a selection of aquarium decor?

Yup. Sorry, should have added a or two to my comment.

Balance wrote:Looks like MeanGreanStompa's image is maybe a selection of aquarium decor?

Nah, just live action Slann terrain.

Flashman wrote:

Anung Un Rama wrote:What are the Middenland Tufts amd Mordheim Turf supposed to be? I've never heard of them.

It's basically static grass for those who...

...actually, I can't complete that sentence, because I don't see the benefit of the product at all. Let me try again...

It kets you base faster. They're in little shaped segments of static grass. Depending on the brand, some don't even need PVA to stick to the base (the stuff by mininature doesn't, just press it does with tweezers). The benefit is you get the grass in the shape you pick off the strip. HOnestly, I wouldn't go back to normal static flock for basing, using the tufts is far easier.

George Spiggott wrote:I hope it will be a giant skull shaped tower made entirely from human skulls on a base of skulls. GW scenery has always been lacking in the Skull department IMO.

Hmmmm .... It's not entirely made of skulls, but would this be big enough until your dream skulls come along?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Games-Workshop-64-51-Warhammer-Fantasy-Skullvane-Manor-Lair-of-the-Astromancer-/182198524668 ;-)

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