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[DCM]
Chief Deputy Sub Assistant Trainee Squig Handling Intern
How do!
Was gonna do this per game system and by army. But that’s like….loads of work. Also I think it may be overly restrictive.
So I’m doing this thread instead. If you’d like to break it down to the best looking Army per game? Go for it! But I do want to stress I’m not meaning which game or army got the best releases of 2025. Rather I’m wanting to know which you think looks best at the end of 2025, including all its release to that point.
I figure that casts the net as widely and inclusively as possible.
Right, off you go.
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Hey now, reposting threads you started only a few months ago as if it is a totally new idea is my department.
BorderCountess wrote: Just because you're doing something right doesn't necessarily mean you know what you're doing...
"Vulkan: There will be no Rad or Phosphex in my legion. We shall fight wars humanely. Some things should be left in the dark age." "Ferrus: Oh cool, when are you going to stop burning people to death?" "Vulkan: I do not understand the question."
– A conversation between the X and XVIII Primarchs
Well I missed the previous thread, so I'll answer here...!
For me it has to be epic-scale games, just really do look epic on the tabletop! And Legions Imperialis is in a pretty good place now with a really good range of kits of infantry through walkers to tanks and superheavies, and of course knights and titans.
Not sure if it quite fits your criteria, but also think the 40k Eldar range deserves a mention - this years releases meaning we finally have all of the Aspects in plastic, with Phoenix Lords (minus one of those, that is...) really is awesome and the models look great to boot too.
I think Best visual game and best looking game are two different things. Like, Visually nothing looks better than a fully built up Mordheim table. Visually speaking, the immersion is amazing.
With that being said, Best looking game of 2025 I'd give that to Warcrow. Models are just great and while I really cant justify getting into another game. If I could get my hands on a few of the models just to paint that would rock.
Commodus Leitdorf Paints all of the Things!! The Breaking of the Averholme: An AoS Adventure
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Legion Imperialis (But really Epic 40k). I don't like the LI game overall, but the models and games look incredible. I honestly think its how 40k should look and feel as a game on the tabletop. The larger scale does have nice models, and should still exist for 'kill team' scale gaming, but overall with the level of detail of the models and terrain and rate they have been able to bring out kits, its not far off what 40k was a few years ago. It makes for a stunning looking game.
Oldhammer-y/Oathmark/Midgard- I think the last couple of years have really hit a sweet spot for those 'classic' looking fantasy games. Big, epic, cinematic looking classic fantasy on the tabletop. Only reason I leave out the old world, is that sadly I find that all the talk of 'meta' and the constant push for rules updates seems to bring in this sea of 3d printed/duplicated, unpainted, and identical looking armies which makes so many games look identical. You could be looking at a screenshot from a video game half the time. There is certainly plenty of good old world gaming going on, but its often drowned in clone wars-looking 'meta gaming'. So thats why it just misses out for 'best looking' for me this year. But seeing things like the big mega lord of the rings games for midgard being put on is fantastic. And what I got in to the hobby for in the first place!
Argatoria-
I've only brought a handful of minis to 'test' but its the first game in a long time to grab my attention away (even if only briefly) from my big long term projects. The company seems great and interacts with the community, the minis look great, its got a great 'classic' feel and look to the world, and the cost isn't terrible (until you want to collect it all! Which I'm bound to do now!)
Runners up-
Judge Dredd 'I am the Law'. Absolutely stunning game, with some great looking minis and with people putting together some really great looking tables. Sadly the Dredd IP has been mishandled over the years in the wargaming, and warlord continues the trend of this by not wanting to release certain expansions due to political/world issues thus leaving the game going stale, only releasing partial ranges for other games/warbands, and then dropping the license as soon as we lost Paul Sawyer (the license champion). Could have been amazing and expanded long past what we got. Instead we still have Necromunda which is Dredd in all but name and IP.
I don't know about the best looking game for 2025 from an industry perspective because there is a lot going on that I may never see. I know the Historical cons had some amazing looking games being played, and there was a particular Helm's Deep game that was making the rounds, and a 54mm Fort William Henry board......
However, the best looking game that was put on by me personally was probably my Battle of Kadesh game back in March. It used 6mm armies on the table.
Ooh, I'd be really interested in the Helm's Deep game you mentioned if you could remember any more about it to help search it up, like even the name of a con it was at?
Nothing new game wise particularly stood out to me this year I have to say. I don't much like the aesthetics of the various new fantasy contenders even though the minis are well executed. I've just become really fussy about the kind of fantasy style I like.
