Jan 26, 2007

Battle for Skull Pass Review

The Battle for Skull Pass, the box-set heralding the 7th edition of Warhammer, was obviously designed as a rather enticing entry point to the world of Games Workshop and fantasy miniature wargaming in general, but also as something veteran gamers would consider buying over/along the proper 7th edition Rulebook. Apparently GW did a pretty stellar work too, as for less than 60 euros (or 40 pounds or even 60$) you get all the stuff pictured (unpainted of course) above, meaning you get:
  • 1 getting started booklet
  • 1 pocket-sized Warhammer 7th edition Rulebook
  • 2 (pretty shitty) standard plastic rulers
  • the 3 plastic templates required for Warhammer
  • 10 six-sided (d6) dice
  • artillery and scatter dice
  • 40 Night Goblin Spearmen
  • 20 Night Goblin Archers
  • 10 Forest Goblin Spider Riders
  • 2 Night Goblin characters (Big Boss and Shaman)
  • 1 Troll
  • 12 Dwarf Warriors
  • 10 Dwarf Thunderers
  • 8 Dwarf Miners
  • 1 Dwarf Cannon with crew
  • 2 Dwarf characters (Thane and Dragon Slayer)
  • Dwarf and Night Goblin themed scenery
The miniatures themselves are all in plastic and quite frankly they really do add value to Battle for Skull Pass. To give you an idea just how cheap the box set set actually is, I'll let you know this pretty little secret: 2 new Night Goblin boxes and one Spider Riders unit -if bought separately- will cost you more than 80 euros. Granted these expensive minis will definitely be better, more detailed and featuring quite a few more options and extra decorative pieces than the ones you'll get here, but, still, the Night Goblins included in the box are beautiful enough to be included in any Warhammer army, and you'll be roughly getting 500 points of them, enough for quite a few small scale skirmishes, as 500 points is the standard WHFB "small" army.

The Dwarfs (another 500 points worth of troops) unfortunately aren't of the same quality, even though they will make a decent starter's army, especially if painted to an acceptable standard. Oh, and you won't be finding their outstanding pirate-y cannon anywhere else... The included scenery pieces, on the other hand, a Goblin Idol, a Dwarfen wall and a silly treasure-pulling pony, are of pretty high quality.

Interestingly, all of them models, be they Goblins, Dwarfs or ponies don't have to be glued together. No, they push together without any need for glue. Damn! [still, glue should make them quite a bit sturdier]

That's the miniature part of the box set covered then. As for the books, well, both veterans and beginners will be pleased to know that the included pocket-sized Warhammer Rulebook covers every single rule the full book does. Rulewise, there's absolutely nothing left out. Then again, its 128 pages cover almost nothing but rules and are printed in such a small font anyone over 60 should have trouble reading them, even though the layout is ace, the imagery grim and Gothic and the sheer compactness of the book will make it a must among tournament players. As for the rules themselves, they are easy to grasp and quite elegant, being more of an update and clearing-up of the latest edition, than a complete rewrite.

The Battle for Skull Pass booklet, the one subtly subtitled Read this First, on the other hand, is what will mostly be of interest to new players. In its 32 full-coloured pages they will get to know the key Warhammer rules through excellent examples and while playing, basic modelling and painting skills, a few things about the Warhammer universe and finally experience their first battle. Cunningly avoiding a couple of ad filled pages, they should then head on to the Battle for Skull Pass website for further battle scenarios (and other freebies), that'll have them use every miniature included in the box.

A word of advice though, before you (the ones thinking about getting into Warhammer) go and spend your cash on this one, regardless of what an excellent product this is... Warhammer is a very (and I do mean very) expensive hobby. Getting a PS3 should probably be cheaper than a fully painted army. If you are ok with this, then, by all means... be my guests (yes, all of you).

Veterans... uhm.. you lot don't need any advice, do you?

Related @ Gnome's Lair: Warhammer 7th edition FAQs, White Dwarf issue 1 PDF, WHFB begginer's tactics


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50 comments:

  1. (shakes piggy bank.....sighs! looks at gnomes collection... salivates.....)

    thirsty think i need tea.....

    (picks up getting started booklet...)

    a little read isn't going to do any harm.....

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  2. Never. Especially such wholesome GW products. Warhammer 's good for your cholesterol too!

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  3. ...well then i'll make two bacon and sausage butties with extra fat......
    i can feel the pounds falling off me already....

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  4. Ooooh yeah!

    Fuck!

    Something fell on me! Dear... Is this your fat Elderly?

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  5. ...jeez sorry.. .im terribly sorry... God that's terribly embarassing.... (takes fat blob from Gnome.....gets wet face cloth and begins to clean Gnome up....)

    look im sorry bout that.. i should have been watching..... look i'll pay for the dry cleaing expences...

    (elderly turns red and dumps the offending sticky glutinous mass in the bin.....)

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  6. No, that's ok ok.. really. I feel slightly sick though...

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  7. ..(pulls up chair..... fetches glass of water and playboy mag....)

    here this should revive you....

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  8. I'm not dead mind you... Thanks anyway. Quite revived

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  9. ..so if your not a Zombie, then wheres that smell coming from....?


    !!! christ no, the Ogre nurse!!!!

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  10. Run to the hills! Get the guns! Dont forget the porn!

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  11. (grabs semi-automatic, grabs coat, jumps out through window......)

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  12. (picks up elderly, offers water, opens window, jumps out)

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  13. (drinks water.....Looks dazed....)

    where are the hills again? hey did you know your a Gnome?

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  14. Uhm, over there, yes! Now, be quiet...

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  15. XD as i have played 40K for 2 years now, me and my friend (were both 13 though hes a year old then me)are gona go halfs (money wise) on this he wants the dwarfs and i get the goblins (yey swarm armys) ^^. playing orks and tau and tyranid, the painting shouldnt be too difrrent . it the game play thats got me thinking . how difrent is it from 40k

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  16. Well, dear Rohan jason tai, Warhammer Fantasy uses a lot of WH40k's abbreviations and mechanics, though it does play in a quite different way that places emphasis on movement. Oh, and you'll have to get to grips with ranked units... Think you'll enjoy it quite a bit more, really.

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  17. What colours are the 12 paints that it comes with? It doesn't specify in any forums or reviews that I have found.

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  18. It doesn't come with any paints at all Anonymous.

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  19. Hmm I got my Battle for Skull Pass here in the states and it comes with 12 Citadel paints. It justdoesn't say exactly which color they are and since this is my first GW item I'm just not familiar with which color is which.

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    Replies
    1. What website did you get it from cos I'm looking to buy one of these

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  20. Well, when I got mine back when the 7th edition was just beginning it had no paints in it. Think what you're mentioning is some sort of promotion to help clear the stock. Anyway. It should be 12 primary colors. Possibly black, white, red, blue, yellow etc.

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  21. Well, I painted my first figure today and I mean my very first figure! I only used 2 of the colors from the set that I got and the rest I used from individual citadel paints. The two from the set that I used looked like Desert Yellow and Graveyard Earth. I used the Desert Yellow for the boots and horns and Graveyard Earth mixed with black for the beard on one of the dwarf warriors. Then I used Chainmail for the blade, metal armor, beard clasp, shield rim and helm accents. I used Burnished Gold for shield and weapon accents. I used Blood Red for cloth parts and Dwarf Flesh for skin. Washes will be next but I still have to buy them. Cheers!

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  22. That's great to hear dear Anonymous. Remember when I painted my first mnis; and thelast... Oh, and do shop around for paints. Citadel aren't necessarily neither the best nor the cheapest.

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  23. you cannot purchase battle for skull pass from games workshop anymore is there anywhere else i can buy this item ??? i am starting a orc and goblin force .....

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  24. Hey, I guess they are sold out. But do look for it on eBay. There should be more than a few boxes. Oh, and an orc and goblin army is always a great idea. Got one myself.

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  25. ok thanks gnome and for repling so quickly after buying battle for skull pass what orc and goblin products do you suggest that i should buy next ? and how many points roughly is battle for skull pass worth for the goblin force (i need to get goblin rulebook) .

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  26. A pleasure... Now, what to buy next. Hmm, I would definitely add a few orcs to the force and -of course- a couple or more characters. The battle for skull forces is roughly 500 points. Mind you, I'm talking about the 6th-7th editions of Warhammer and not the just released 8th. I haven't gotten into that yet, but truth be said I loved the previous editions.

    Cheers!

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  27. ok thanks gnome i was thinking about a faster attacking arming for ors or certainly part of it so the rest of the troops can move up and out flank while the faster models take fire and hopefully get into combat what do you think about spider rider and orc boar chariots... thanks heaps for the estimate on battle for skull pass btw !

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  28. Spider riders are very good units indeed. Boar chariots -though looking beautiful- have to be well protected before they charge; they are perfect against small expensive units. Remember though that the power of the O&G army lies in massed ranks and magic.

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  29. really thanks heaps, did not actually now that well about the heaps of magic massive amount of infantry is a given really. what are the most standard wizards are they fanatics ??

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  30. No, no, not fanatics; they are to be used against heavy troops. Just proper goblin wizards. They work wonders. Oh, and cheers!

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  31. oh right thanks mate so just night goblin shaman's ???? and what type of magic do they specify in offense killing the opposition or boosting stats on your own units team ?

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  32. No need to be specific. It's just that goblin (and night goblin) shamans in general are cheap. As for spell selection, worry not. You are restricted to Waaagh magic after all, and O&G magic is far too random.

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  33. oh ok thanks you have been very helpful in assiting me to make a hopefully good goblin focre

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  34. arrrrgh hi gnome i am new to warhammer and want to start a skaven force what advice can i plz give some help like is there a minimum amount of core units and what u need to have to play a legal game !!@!@!@# thanks !!

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  35. Well dear Anonymous, I really wouldn't know much about the 8th edition (the current one) as I've quite stopped pouring money into this hobby. I would though speculate you'd need at least 3 core units, a couple heroes and one special unit to get started.

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  36. ok thank you very much do u need wizards ?

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  37. r ok how many and do they just go in normal regiments of clanrats ??

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  38. I really am not sure. You will have to grab the Skaven rulebook for that.

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  39. ok thanks very much What armies have u got ?? if u dont mind saying

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  40. Well, I have roughly 3000 points worth of Orcs and Goblins, a 1500 Tomb Kings force and two small 500 points armies of Dwarves and Empire. They are all from the 6th/7th edition mind.

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  41. wow i was thinking about orc and goblins =) but then decided i like skaven more i think.....

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  42. hey i brought the baatle for skull pass is the rulebook that comes with that the 1 that is currently being used. as the new rules

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  43. The Battle for Skull Pass is based on the 7th edition rules and the latest edition is the 8th edition.

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  44. oh ok thanks very much is there going to be be a 9th soon ? and is there still some of the same rules ?

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  45. I really wouldn't know, but I suggest you keep an eye on the Games Workshop site.

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  46. ok thanks heaps

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  47. Well, this a 2007 article so I guess eBay would be one of the few alternatives.

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