Warhammer: The Old World Launches to Strong Pre-Orders, But Some Fans Dismayed by Limited Support

Warhammer Fantasy makes a comeback, but not all factions will be brought back in the new game.

By Christian Hoffer

Games Workshop has a hit on its hands, if the pre-orders of Warhammer: The Old World are any indication. Yesterday, Games Workshop opened up pre-orders for Warhammer: The Old World, a revival of sorts of the classic Warhammer Fantasy Battles game with a revised and more streamlined ruleset. Pre-orders for both Launch Boxes (one focused on the Kingdom of Bretonnia and the other focused on the undead Tomb Kings of Khemri) sold out of their UK allotment in approximately an hour after launch. While slower in the US, Games Workshop's website currently shows that the launch box for Bretonnia has sold out as has the Core Rulebook for the game. 

The strong sales are a seeming indication that the revival of Warhammer's original game setting is on its way to be a success. While at least some of the launch product will be available at third-party retailers and at Games Workshop retail stores when the game officially launches later this month, the strong pre-orders are impressive in part because many of the Warhammer: The Old World miniatures are new runs of original Warhammer Fantasy pieces, some of which are 20 years old or older. 

However, some longtime Warhammer Fantasy fans have expressed disappointment in how Games Workshop is approaching its support of Warhammer: The Old World. Last week, Games Workshop confirmed that seven original Warhammer Fantasy factions would be considered "legacy factions" with no plans to add those factions to the game. The seven factions from Warhammer Fantasy that won't be supported include the Lizardmen, Dark Elves, Skaven, Ogre Kingdoms, Vampire Counts, Daemons of Chaos, and Chaos Dwarves. Games Workshop noted that these factions don't fit with the lore of Warhammer: The Old World (which is set several centuries before the era covered in the original Warhammer Fantasy game) but they would all receive free PDFs with army lists for fans to use in unofficial games, but they would not be supported in the same manner as other factions. 

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Most of these factions have been integrated into Warhammer: Age of Sigmar to some extent, with several of these factions receiving major line-wide refreshes. Two other factions (the Skaven and Chaos Dwarves) are also rumored to factor into Age of Sigmar's plans, which is why they might not be appearing in The Old World. However, it is a reminder that while Warhammer: The Old World is bringing back a lot of Warhammer Fantasy to fans, it's not a full refresh as some fans wanted. Additionally, it means that (as in the waning years of Warhammer Fantasy) it will fall to the fans to provide balance updates and support for these legacy factions, as many players will still likely want to use their favorite armies, regardless as to whether they'll be officially supported in tournament play.

Depending on your region, pre-orders for Warhammer: The Old World may still be available on Games Workshop's website. 

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