The Terrorgheist - A New Dawn for White Dwarf?

Today I picked up the August issue of White Dwarf, issue 380. I was rather excited to get this particular issue, as I am an avid vampire counts player and all the reports suggested we were in for a treat in this issue. The thing that really interested me though, was that by all accounts, official rules were being published in white dwarf. This was an eyebrow raiser. It's been years since GW have done that for fantasy.

I do remember a time when white dwarf was fairly full of new rules, scenarios and general gaming goodness. I've been reading the magazine since issue 95, so I've seen a lot of peaks and troughs. White Dwarf in recent times has been lambasted as a catalogue and little else. For my part, I like white dwarf, while simultaneously agreeing with the incensed rage-fiends and quite reasonable folks alike of various warhammer forums about the lack of gaming content in the magazine. But still, I like it, catalogue or no.

The new vampire count rules this month have given me the hope that white dwarf might get the same treatment that the orc & goblin and tomb kings books have been given. Excellent quality books, beautifully designed and illustrated with in-depth background sections and well balanced army lists. GW seem to have halted the destructive power creep of 7th edition. 8th edition is certainly the most fun version of warhammer I have played, and I hope we get a full set of army books for it.

Now, I'm a long-time fan of warhammer fantasy battle, not so much GW. It's a strange relationship. I'm no hater either, I just tend to wince and raise my eyes skyward when I hear of the newest GW gaff. I do however care that they maintain the warhammer fantasy game. With 8th and the subsequent army books, I have reasons to be cheerful. If the newest development along this new track is to start producing regular updates and such in white dwarf in the same balanced and considered manner, then I say yes please and more thanks.

Take the terrorgheist for example.

It's rules seem balanced, though it's quite pricey but has useful abilities. It slots into the army list as it doesn't replace the vargulf or abyssal terror. It adds variety. It's an option, as opposed to a must have or useless addition. Time will tell, as I've barely looked at it, but at first glance this is how it seems to me. It is also a fantastic miniature, but GW are the masters of plastic miniatures and get better with every kit they make.

All in all, a seminal issue.

That garden of Morr too. I'll be having that. I thought it assembled as a rather impassable piece of terrain, but it turns out it's usable in multiple sections as a variety of terrain pieces. Possibly the best terrain kit I've seen from GW yet.