Hordes: Metamorphosis was released last week, and I stopped in specifically to pick up my copy. Five days later, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I've given up a ton of painting and modeling time in my reading of the book, and I've been a longtime fan of both Warmachine and Hordes. So be forewarned: this is a totally biased review.
The Basics
Hordes: Metamorphosis introduces new models for the four factions in Hordes: Trollbloods, Circle Orboros, Skorne, Legion of Everblight. In addition, Metamorphosis gives Hordes players access to epic warlocks, character warbeasts, cohorts and dragoons.
The layout follows previous books. There's a Foreward and a Page Five followed by a fluff introduction, new rules, then fluff and unit entries for each faction of the game. The book ends with the conclusion of the various storylines introduced by the faction material.
Artwork
Metamorphosis features full color artwork throughout the book. Faction sections each begin with a splash page featuring several of the models introduced in the expansion. Of these, my favorite is probably the Circle Orboros section, but that's probably just because I have the hots for Kaya the Moonhunter.
There are also illustrations scattered throughout of the story as it progresses through Metamorphosis.
However, my favorite images are the unit illustrations.
The best of these are the character based ones for the warlocks and character warbeasts. Uderzo's painting of Thagrosh, the Messiah features a Thagrosh transformed (or dare I say, metamorphosed) into a bestial thing somewhere between dragon and ogrun. A bony spine now fully rips through his back, his wings stretch out, and there's even a frozen puff of air escaping his draconic/ogrunic maw.
The other style of art covering the warcasters is the alien expressionism of Kieran Yanner. Though some of it is hit and miss (Krueger the Stormlord is a bit plain for my tastes), his renderings of epic Kaya (yes, my fictional crush) and the new Skorne Void Seer warlock are almost alien and unique.
Perhaps the only artwork that loses out are the Trollblood units. While the art is clean and detailed, illustrations for the new caster unit of Runeshapers and the Stone Scribe Elder unit attachment are almost too clean and bright. What's surprising is that they use this clean look to depict the Long Rider character Dragoon, Horthol, when both the Circle Orboros and Skorne dragoons both look dangerous and powerful.
Story
The Legion of Everblight and the Skorne get serious story upgrades. When you left Hordes: Evolution you were left wondering how Morghoul and Makeda would handle information gleaned about Vinter's true purposes. In Metamorphosis you discover Makeda and Morghul's response and are treated to impressive combats featuring Vinter, Tyrants, assassins and Morghoul himself. The Skorne win this section of the book easily.
The Legion of Everblight gets to fight, too, but their story is more internal as Metamorphosis tracks their journey away from the Castle of the Keys. Thagrosh gets to suffer the changes forced by Pyromalfic's consumption as the warlocks try to keep him safe long enough to transform.
Lylyth gets to show how badly the Circle Orboros needs real commanders, as Baldur, Krueger, and even Morvhana constantly lose battles and fall for traps left and right. Circle Orboros fans will have to settle for meeting Krueger's master, Mohsar, more of the omnipotents and a dragon. I wonder if I'm not too hard on them because the story mostly follows Krueger, a warlock I've never really been interested in? At any rate, it's at least satisfying to see him get hurt by a cameo made by a certain Khadoran crossover character (she shows up in the background as far back as Hordes: Primal!)and her warjack.
My personal favorite moment is (of course) seeing Kaya frighten a Wayfarer with the number of warbeasts she brings around with her (Argus pack, three Warpwolves, Two Satyrs, for those of you keeping track). I mean, if that's not running hot, I don't know what is.
Finally, there's the Trolls. I don't know what it is with this book, but the Trollbloods just can't seem to catch a break. Their storyline focuses on Hoarluk's betrayal by the elders and Madrak's attempt to forestall doom for his people, but seeing as Madrak's story is meant to be tragic I don't see it as likey. Sure enough, not even Borka's hearty nature can make up for the indignities inflicted upon Madrak's people. They don't even get out on their wits but have to rely on the help of Viktor Pendrake!
So Trollblood fans, my condolences. At least your faction typically has a 1 in 3 chance of surviving failure.
Gameplay
Legion of Everblight Themes
Of the four factions, the Legion of Everblight probably wins the gold even though they're the only faction who doesn't get a dragoon.
Ranged assassination.
Epic Warlock Lylyth, Shadow of Everblight, the Strider Officer and Musician Unit Attachment and Strider Deathstalker Solo are probably all good reasons to play a ranged game with the Legion of Everblight. Even their new warlock, Absylonia, Terror of Everblight emphasizes a kind of ranged denial with her mutations and healing capacities. To top it off, the cavalry solo they get in place of a dragoon is the Blighted Nyss Sorceress and Hellion Solo, which provides mobile support for Fliers and ranged attacks.
Forward Aggression.
Epic Warlock Thagrosh, the Messiah and Absylonia, Terror of Everblight emphasize combat. Add the Typhon Warbeast character and the Nephilim Protector Warbeast and Epic Thagrosh becomes difficult to root out, even with some of his limitations.
Blighted Ogrun theme.
I don't know what else to call this. You have the Warspears Unit and the Warmonger War Chief Solo and suddenly you have a theme. I don't know how effective such a theme would be, but the War Chief at least removes some of the limitations of the Warmongers Unit.
To make up for all this awesome, Privateer Press saw fit to include the Lanyssa Ryssyl Solo, an anti-Legion Solo.
Skorne themes
The Skorne gets the silver medal as their expansion overcomes some of their prior limitations.
Assassination
Not just assassination of warlock/warcaster, but assassination of individual models. Lord Assassin Morghoul is a terror unto himself, but given that he provides a Perfect Balance elite cadre to all paingivers and one of the new Skorne units is the assassination Bloodrunners Unit, then you can see that assassination can be both a theme and a method. The Bloodrunner Master Tormentor Solo is an acrobatic nightmare who can increase the effectiveness of attacks from the Bloodrunners.
Mobility
Some of the Skorne's previous efforts at mobility were dependent on the Praetorian Ferox Unit, but Supreme Archdomina Makeda increases the mobility of any Praetorian Swordsmen Unit, and provides protection, revival, and mobility to both her troops and warbeasts. The Soulward Extoller Solo makes shooting a viable option in this army. On top of that, the Molik Karn Warbeast character is a fierce fury efficient heavy warbeast whose animus and Makeda's spell Leash can keep the two moving a frightening amount up the battlefield. Add the Tyrant Commander and Standard Bearer Unit and suddenly you have a unit attachment that is not attached to any unit. Their dragoon, the Tyrant Radheim Solo is also a loose cannon who benefits this army greatly through his ability to hit anywhere you need him to as well as providing a cohort bonus to Ferox.
Finesse
Void Seer Mordikaar is the finesse warlock of the bunch (you'd think the assassin would be all about finesse, but his Blind feat is pretty straightforward in comparison to Mordikaar's ability list). He also provides mobility to units, as well as enhanced control of any Void Spirit Solo. His spell list features a soul token denial spell and the ability to temporarily revive troops. High Reclaimer and Testament players are turning in their sleep (I should know). The Cyclops Shaman Warbeast would benefit from his high fury stat and give you choices in terms of which animi you need to make redundant.
Bronze goes to the Circle Orboros, despite their fictional tactical inadequacies. And I'm not just saying that because of epic Kaya.
Circle themes
Mobility
Epic Kaya the Moonhunter takes her Spirit Door on the road and turns it into a multiple beast feat as well as a personal spirit door between her and Laris. The War Wolf Solo, the Wolf Lord Morraig Solo Dragoon, and the Tharn Ravager White Mane Solo can all be where you need them to be with two of them having Scent and one of them having Blood assault. Krueger the Stormlord always flies now and gives Tharn Ravagers the ability to Jump 5", and Mohsar the Desertwalker has a teleport spell as well as a spell that can move friendly unit. The new ranged attack Stoneward and Woldstalkers Unit can move an additional 3" as an additional ability.
Board control
Mohsar the Desertwalker denies warbeasts and warjacks movement with an upkeep spell that punishes them for moving and can place temporary obstructions on the battlefield. Krueger the Stormlord's feat Hurrican pushes models away. The Shadowhorn Satyr Warbeast, ugly as the model is, gives you more knockdown and throw options in your army (it also gets bonus points for being a Satyr with the animus Virility. I mean, really. Why not just model it with an enormous phallus why don't you?). The Megalith Warbeast character has an affinity to poor non-epic Baldur the Stonecleaver, but its abilities keep both it and other Woldwarden Warbeast models alive. The Druid of Orboros Overseer Unit Attachment has the ability to push models.
Spellcasting
The Megalith Warbeast can cast spells other than offensive ones (though not self targeted or control area spells) with the same fury restriction as Woldwardens. Both Mohsar the Desertwalker and his student Krueger the Stormlord have the ability to affect models at a distance, with Krueger being more direct and Mohsar playing with remove from play effects. The Druid of Orboros Overseer Unit Attachment allows the Druids of Orboros Unit to cast a second spell and increases the power of their hideously powerful Devouring attack.
I have no idea where to place the Tharn Bloodweavers Unit. I suppose they are an anti-infantry utility unit that doesn't really fit any of these themes.
Trollblood Themes
And finally, those poor Trollbloods. They don't really get a medal at all, but they do get an honorable mention. It's even sadder because I'm only really capable of seeing two themes emerge, though a more experienced Trollblood player might reveal more.
Army Support
Both epic Madrak Ironhide, World Ender and Calandra Soothsayer, Oracle of the Glimmerwood support their respective armies. The Trollkin Fennblades Unit keep the army from dying outright to Cavalry, and the Stone Scribe Elder Unit Attachment transforms the Stone Scribes into a offensive unit buffer. The Trollkin Hero Solo benefits from the Trollkin Champions Unit, but only temporarily, and the Horthol, Long Rider Champion Solo makes Long riders even more frightening than their price tag with the ability to Follow Up attacks and actually rely on Impact attacks to hit (especially with the mount's POW 14, yikes). I suppose that makes the Trolllkin Runeshapers Unit extra ranged support with both a ranged attack and a close up grenade type AOE, but now I'm just grasping at straws.
Warbeast
Epic Hoarluk Doomshaper, Rage of Dhunia makes Dire Trolls even more fun to play with, giving a bonded one the ability to use power attacks as regular hits. On top of that, he can bond Mulg the Ancient, who not only has a P+S of 18 and Reach with his club, but also has anti-warbeast abilities on top of that. To deal with Warjacks, trolls get a new elemental light warbeast, the Slag Troll Warbeast, who also deals well with constructs and the undead. And finally, the Trollbloods' winning concept isn't a character or unit, but rather, five little guys who can be purchased like the Legion of Everblight Incubi, the Troll Whelps Solo. They can be fielded on their own, but these cute little buggers can be squeezed out of a warbeast when it takes damage, and then on the troll's activation it can eat them to heal the damage. Very useful indeed.
Overall, the Trollbloods get a few nice things, but nothing beats out the Whelps.
Conclusion
There's very little else to the book. The hobby pages detail techniques, but there aren't many sections of them and they're probably just there to showcase the minis and promote the P3 paint line.
Probably the most important question is: Is the book worth it despite the upcoming rules changes and rebalancing? I'd say so. If I have to come up with reasons for not buying the books then I'll have to say that the Trollbloods get the weakest art, story, and gameplay expansion. However, even the Trollbloods are saved by the presence of the Whelps and the part of Madrak's story that has him seeing double vision through Rathrok.
Everything else is money well spent. The illustrations and story and the army themes will last even if these specific rules will not, and for that I give the book (and epic Kaya) five out of five fanboy strokes.
