Almost any Warhammer 40,000 fan will agree that making a table full of enjoyable terrain to play your games on can be one of the trickiest things you can do.* The new battle zone: With Manufactorum terrain kits, that's a thing of the past! No fewer than five awesome boxes are up for pre-order on Saturday, and they're a complete game changer!
The big one - combat zone: Manufactorum - Vertigus
Let's start with the biggest, and frankly best, item in the Battlezone: Manufactorum line—the Vertigus box! Designed to recreate the desolate, abandoned world of Vertigus II, this terrain kit is loaded with everything you need to fill a game board the size of a combat patrol or incursion with terrain. It even includes two 22"x30" boards!
The boards are made of durable, double-sided cardboard with stunning detail on each side - one with a gray, rubble-strewn battlefield reminiscent of a cityscape, while the other has a rusty Martian desert theme.
You also get a veritable mountain of terrain pieces—24 in total. These include a storage canopy, a sub-cloister, an engine shed, a car-choral transmitter, a heat exchanger sanctuary, and 14 thermotubes. In short, enough to make the included game board truly impressive!
In a box like this, choosing a favorite item can be difficult... The WarCom team is split between the Autotransmitter team and the Engine Hangar team—yes, we're weird.
Our favorite thing about this set is that it's fully interlocking. It's never been easier to get your warzone ready for battle, and it looks great too! Everything in this set is fully compatible with both Warhammer 40,000 Command Edition and the Command Edition Battlefield Expansion Set—in fact, adding it to either gives you an incredible terrain to fight on.
Yes, all of this in one game! If there's a better way to create your own battle zone, we don't know it.
Sanctuary
In addition to the Vertigus mega-platform, there are several other incredible battle zones: The Manufactorum kits are out this weekend, including the Sanctum Administratus. This bombed-out ruin was clearly an Imperial data processing and general administration center, erm, once upon a time.
The view from above is one thing, but the advantage of the bird's eye view and observation deck is another!
The Sanctum Administratus gives your board some serious height. Not only does it give you a commanding position to fire down on the enemy while ignoring view, sir, but it also gives you cover for your larger units—Imperial Knights, Wraith Knights, we're looking at you.
What is a Sub-cloister?
We're not entirely sure, but it's cool, and in narrative games you can house an infantry unit in the basement.** The "Sub-cloister" and "Storage Fane" kit builds the two eponymous buildings you'd expect and gives you some good low-lying terrain to protect your models.
Containers
One of the most popular kits in Warhammer terrain history, the Munitorum Armored Containers are back! The box contains three awesome containers (with optional storm bolts for narrative play), nine Promethium Barrels, and 12 Supply Crates! Everyone loves rough terrain, right? Especially when there's a chance it'll explode if hit by a stray shot...
The exploding barrels ensure this kit will go off with a bang!
All aboard the Servohaulers!
If there's anything cooler than the funky little Galvanic Servohauler in the Battlezone: Curators of the Munitorum kit, we haven't seen it yet. This cheeky little traction engine and its servo-welder friend look adorable (and are fantastic for conversions). In the game, they even have rules for moving around the battlefield. Friendly units can activate them and perform a 6" movement, which is perfect for pulling the huge piece of cover off the back of the trailer for your warriors to take cover behind. Sneaking isn't just for sneaky armies anymore!
The idea of moving the truck with a squad of troops behind it reminds us of all those roll-call scenes in war movies where they take cover behind improbable cover. In a good way.
Start preparing...
Everyone in the (virtual) Warhammer Community Office is very excited for the Battlezone kits to drop. Not only do they promise to be a game-changer for tactical deployment games, but their new narrative rules will also make a big difference. It's now going to be easier than ever to create your own amazing terrain setup.
Whether you're looking to host battles at home, easily build a large army for display, or plan to become the world champion of tactical deployment games, you'll need to place your order as early as Saturday.
*If you're of a certain age, you might remember when a Warhammer 40,000 board was populated with painted yogurt pots and polystyrene balls with cocktail sticks sticking out of them - a charming piece of hobby history.
**They don't hide, they're just strategically placed out of sight.
*** We're not sure if this is actually a thing. But if you want to make yourself a title belt out of cardboard and aluminum foil, be sure to share it on our Facebook page.
