Friday, November 26, 2010

New Terrain: Dreadstone Blight and Witchfate Tor - Tower of Sorcery!

*Squeek*

Games Workshop recently released two new items of terrain for Warhammer Fantasy Battles, Witchfate Tor. Tower of Sorcery and Dreadstone Blight.

These releases were naturally accompanied by an article in the most recent edition of White Dwarf available at the time of writing (WD371 November 2010).

As well as the usual promotion, the 8 page article includes ideas for using both of these items and a nicely done diorama.

Games Workshop is doing their usual good job of promoting and supporting this release on their website. You'll find a blog article with some good pictures of these items still wrapped, as well being assembled, and the two items compared side by side (my only gripe being that they should have shown them next to a mini to give a sense of scale - see below for a pic that does that.) They also have two new articles in the Astronomican on them, one of which is a nicely detailed and well photographed step-by-step painting guide for Witchfate Tor.
Say what you like about GW, their team does a good job with the photography and this kind of support!

Now, here on The Chattering Horde I haven't really posted anything on terrain yet as so far, as most of my posts have been related to getting my Skaven army painted, however I HAD to mention these two new kits as I am a big fan of high quality scenery in general, whoever it is produced by (as well as kit-bashed terrain, but that is a post for a different time!)
So, lets take a look at these kits. (Please note that all images are reproduced from www.games-workshop.com, and that I have no official connection to them and receive no payment etc!)

Witchfate Tor. Tower of Sorcery.


This looks to be a big kit (I can't find details on the GW website of the actual size). It also looks highly detailed and comes in the box in sections which freely stack on each other to make the tower.
Each level of the tower has lots of interior and exterior detail, including several places where models can be (precariously) balanced on the exterior of the tower. The GW website has several detailed photos, and I've taken the liberty of including those further below.
There are obviously lots of Gothic touches and repeated motifs on this piece that make it unmistakably "Empire" in feeling and design. (Winged angels of death, hooded statues, flaming comets etc.) While that isn't a bad thing of course, I expect that we will very shortly see some "remodeled" towers - remodeled by Orcs, Gobbos and other races I mean!
(Looking forward to that.)

Dreadstone Blight.


With a total of three floors, this mysterious and crumbling ruin is about half the size of Witchfate Tor. It differs in that while the Tor looks as though it could be a working Wizard's tower (with all the necessary fittings and fixtures - dripping candles, skulls etc.) Dreadstone Blight has obviously seen better days...
And THAT is why I think I like it better at the moment! Somewhat the ramshackle look and the different floors being open to the elements not only makes it more mysterious and evocative of the Warhammer world, but also improves its appeal as a functioning battlefield piece. Not owning these pieces, this may of course be totally unjustified of course.
Let's take a look at some more images.

Firstly, Dreadstone Blight. 
From www.games-workshop.com

From www.games-workshop.com

































Secondly, Witchfate Tor. Tower of Sorcery.


From www.games-workshop.com

From www.games-workshop.com

From www.games-workshop.com

From www.games-workshop.com

From www.games-workshop.com
(Note size of tower next to units.)

















From www.games-workshop.com

I think my Christmas wish list just got a little bit longer!

*Squeek*


















2 comments:

  1. Just picked the tower up today. It is quite a kit!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for commenting - let me know how the kit turns out! I think it looks great as a tower, but I also think it might look really good as a series of interconnected bunkers or bastions as well if you use the different levels next to each other...

    ReplyDelete