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Warhammer: The Old World
Warhammer: The Old World Rulebook
It is a dark age. An age where mighty armies from powerful nations clash to carve out empires on the field of battle. An age where alliances can be fleeting, and today’s friends can be tomorrow’s foes. It is an age where the Winds of Magic must be mastered, and where brave soldiers clash against endless hordes of enemies. And for those who are victorious, it can be an age of glory, no matter how fleeting.
Warhammer: the Old World is a game unlike any other, in which you command mighty armies of Citadel miniatures, relying upon your own tactical ingenuity to achieve victory.
This book contains all the information you need to get started in this engaging game and become the conquering general of a fantasy army.
Inside this 352-page hardback book, you will find:
The World of Legend: A comprehensive history of the Warhammer world and an introduction to the many races and armies that wage eternal war for dominance over it.
The Core Rules: From the general principles, through movement and manoeuvre, to unleashing hails of arrows at your foe and, finally, smashing your enemies aside in deadly close combat.
The Advanced Rules: Rules for rare and potent troops such as war machines, chariots, monsters, and mighty heroes, each adding even more depth to your games.
Realms of Magic: An explanation of the Winds of Magic and rules for wielding a wide range of devastating and devious spells.
Armies of the Old World: A showcase of beautifully painted armies from the talented painters of the world-famous ’Eavy Metal team.
Warhammer Battlefields: Rules for organising your collection of models into an army, and for setting up the battlefields on which your armies will wage war.
Warhammer: the Old World is a game unlike any other, in which you command mighty armies of Citadel miniatures, relying upon your own tactical ingenuity to achieve victory.
This book contains all the information you need to get started in this engaging game and become the conquering general of a fantasy army.
Inside this 352-page hardback book, you will find:
The World of Legend: A comprehensive history of the Warhammer world and an introduction to the many races and armies that wage eternal war for dominance over it.
The Core Rules: From the general principles, through movement and manoeuvre, to unleashing hails of arrows at your foe and, finally, smashing your enemies aside in deadly close combat.
The Advanced Rules: Rules for rare and potent troops such as war machines, chariots, monsters, and mighty heroes, each adding even more depth to your games.
Realms of Magic: An explanation of the Winds of Magic and rules for wielding a wide range of devastating and devious spells.
Armies of the Old World: A showcase of beautifully painted armies from the talented painters of the world-famous ’Eavy Metal team.
Warhammer Battlefields: Rules for organising your collection of models into an army, and for setting up the battlefields on which your armies will wage war.
- GenresFantasy
352 pages, Hardcover
Published January 20, 2024
11 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Games Workshop
1,015 books108 followersGames Workshop Group PLC (often abbreviated as GW) is a British miniature wargaming manufacturing company. Games Workshop is best known as developer and publisher of the tabletop wargames Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000 and The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 4, 2024
The background section of the book covers the history of the Warhammer world from before the Old Ones discovered the world, up to 2250IC, the period when the game’s narrative is set (roughly three-hundred years before the End Times). While much of this lore will be familiar to those who followed the Warhammer Fantasy Battles lore, some additional details added, as well as some minor alterations to the lore here and there that are quite interesting. The nine factions involved in the game’s narrative all get their own section detailing their lore, with the other factions from Warhammer Fantasy Battles (such as the Ogre Kingdoms, Chaos Dwarfs, and Dark Elves) usually getting mentions, even though they don’t get their own sections. As well as this, there are sections of various length for the other human civilizations, such as Kislev, Grand Cathay, Norsca, and Tilea, included in the book.
The artwork in the book is a very nice mixture of pieces from Warmaster, older editions of Warhammer Fantasy Battles, and in one case, Total War: Warhammer, along with, what I believe to be, some nice new pieces. There is also a short model showcase section that shows some nice pictures of the game’s main factions.
The rules section of the book seems to be based on sixth and seventh edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battles, updated with the inclusion of some things from Games Workshops other games such having a command phase, integrating magic into the existing phases rather than having its own phase (as well as seeming to be less powerful than it used to be), and the like. In general, I found the rules to be relatively good and reasonably easy to understand. I am a little disappointed that characters mounted on monsters are treated as a single model now, as I did always liked the how you could kill each independently in older editions. As well as the main rules for the game system, there are also a number of scenarios to play, either as generic battles or as historic refights, as well as some guidelines for campaigns. These rules also seem reasonable, and should be expanded in future expansions.
The artwork in the book is a very nice mixture of pieces from Warmaster, older editions of Warhammer Fantasy Battles, and in one case, Total War: Warhammer, along with, what I believe to be, some nice new pieces. There is also a short model showcase section that shows some nice pictures of the game’s main factions.
The rules section of the book seems to be based on sixth and seventh edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battles, updated with the inclusion of some things from Games Workshops other games such having a command phase, integrating magic into the existing phases rather than having its own phase (as well as seeming to be less powerful than it used to be), and the like. In general, I found the rules to be relatively good and reasonably easy to understand. I am a little disappointed that characters mounted on monsters are treated as a single model now, as I did always liked the how you could kill each independently in older editions. As well as the main rules for the game system, there are also a number of scenarios to play, either as generic battles or as historic refights, as well as some guidelines for campaigns. These rules also seem reasonable, and should be expanded in future expansions.
March 26, 2024
Después de haberlo leído y jugado, creo que es mi edición favorita de Warhammer fantasy. Se parece mucho a 6 edición, con la magia muy cambiada.
October 25, 2024
Warhammer: The Old World – A Nostalgic Return to Glory (With New Paint and Some Old Art and miniatures)
Ah, Warhammer: The Old World! It’s like bumping into an old friend at a bar who hasn’t aged a day but has suddenly developed a taste for artisan craft beers and hipster glasses. After years of waiting—almost ten—we finally have this long-awaited return to the realm of rank-and-file battles, and let me tell you, nostalgia is serving us well. It’s almost like Games Workshop set up a time machine, whisked us back to the golden days of Warhammer Fantasy Battle (WFB), and added a sprinkle of fresh paint to everything. Who could resist that if you started gaming in the mid-eighties with the old WFB and D&D?
For all you WFB veterans, this book/game is basically a warm hug from the past, minus the awkwardness of your high school prom. The mechanics? Oh, they’ll feel delightfully familiar—think of it as a loving homage to the glory days before the Age of Sigmar blew the Old World up like a poorly timed firework (by the way, AoS is also a really good game). Sure, the rules have seen some necessary updates—goodbye, cumbersome magic phase; hello, spells that actually make sense in the context of the current turn! And yes, we now have a plethora of unit types to differentiate our beloved cavalry from, well, other types of cavalry. GW really leaned into the rank-and-flank experience, showing that they know we love our units lined up like obedient little soldiers.
It’s hard to ignore the impact of the Warhammer Total War games on this project. Clearly, GW saw the love for the setting and rank-and-file gameplay and decided to give the fans what they’ve been clamoring for. They even nod to history with titles like “Forces of Fantasy,” reminiscent of the first edition’s boxed set. It’s a clever move that shows they respect their roots while still pushing forward into a new era.
About this book – the RULEBOOK. It’s a stunning piece, hardcover and clocking in at over 350 pages of eye candy. The art is breathtaking—truly a treat for the senses, although it’s mostly recycled and improved. But let’s be real for a second: it's about as practical as trying to use a coffee table book during a heated game. You’ll need a crane to haul that beauty around and, good luck flipping through it while the dice are rolling!
Now, let’s talk models. The beauty of The Old World is that you can dust off your old miniatures and bring them back to the table. Yes, those vintage pieces that have been hiding in your closet can finally bask in the glow of battle once more! It’s almost like GW is saying, “Hey, remember that money you spent? We’re giving you an excuse to spend it all over again!” And if you thought they’d stop there, think again. New models are hitting the shelves, and they are just as beautiful as the artwork in the rulebook—artwork that, let’s be honest, has a lot of nostalgia baked right in, being mostly recycled from previous WFB tomes. But who can complain? We love a good throwback!
So, is Warhammer: The Old World worth it? Absolutely! If you’re a fan of the classic rank-and-file style and enjoy tactical maneuvering over just rolling a mountain of dice, this is the game for you. It’s a brilliant blend of nostalgia and innovation that aims to satisfy both long-time fans and new players alike.
Ah, Warhammer: The Old World! It’s like bumping into an old friend at a bar who hasn’t aged a day but has suddenly developed a taste for artisan craft beers and hipster glasses. After years of waiting—almost ten—we finally have this long-awaited return to the realm of rank-and-file battles, and let me tell you, nostalgia is serving us well. It’s almost like Games Workshop set up a time machine, whisked us back to the golden days of Warhammer Fantasy Battle (WFB), and added a sprinkle of fresh paint to everything. Who could resist that if you started gaming in the mid-eighties with the old WFB and D&D?
For all you WFB veterans, this book/game is basically a warm hug from the past, minus the awkwardness of your high school prom. The mechanics? Oh, they’ll feel delightfully familiar—think of it as a loving homage to the glory days before the Age of Sigmar blew the Old World up like a poorly timed firework (by the way, AoS is also a really good game). Sure, the rules have seen some necessary updates—goodbye, cumbersome magic phase; hello, spells that actually make sense in the context of the current turn! And yes, we now have a plethora of unit types to differentiate our beloved cavalry from, well, other types of cavalry. GW really leaned into the rank-and-flank experience, showing that they know we love our units lined up like obedient little soldiers.
It’s hard to ignore the impact of the Warhammer Total War games on this project. Clearly, GW saw the love for the setting and rank-and-file gameplay and decided to give the fans what they’ve been clamoring for. They even nod to history with titles like “Forces of Fantasy,” reminiscent of the first edition’s boxed set. It’s a clever move that shows they respect their roots while still pushing forward into a new era.
About this book – the RULEBOOK. It’s a stunning piece, hardcover and clocking in at over 350 pages of eye candy. The art is breathtaking—truly a treat for the senses, although it’s mostly recycled and improved. But let’s be real for a second: it's about as practical as trying to use a coffee table book during a heated game. You’ll need a crane to haul that beauty around and, good luck flipping through it while the dice are rolling!
Now, let’s talk models. The beauty of The Old World is that you can dust off your old miniatures and bring them back to the table. Yes, those vintage pieces that have been hiding in your closet can finally bask in the glow of battle once more! It’s almost like GW is saying, “Hey, remember that money you spent? We’re giving you an excuse to spend it all over again!” And if you thought they’d stop there, think again. New models are hitting the shelves, and they are just as beautiful as the artwork in the rulebook—artwork that, let’s be honest, has a lot of nostalgia baked right in, being mostly recycled from previous WFB tomes. But who can complain? We love a good throwback!
So, is Warhammer: The Old World worth it? Absolutely! If you’re a fan of the classic rank-and-file style and enjoy tactical maneuvering over just rolling a mountain of dice, this is the game for you. It’s a brilliant blend of nostalgia and innovation that aims to satisfy both long-time fans and new players alike.
March 11, 2024
Mixed emotions about this: amazing book design, illustration, and lore. The rules for the actual game are not for me, unfortunately.
January 3, 2025
Some balance and rule implication problems but not bad
July 31, 2025
This review is based on lore, artwork, and appeal of storyline.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews