This week’s Warhammer news preview has a nice mix of rules depth and old-school charm. First, Slaanesh players get a champion-level look at their new battletome.
Then, Old World collectors get another nostalgic Made to Order wave. However, both updates speak to players who love characterful armies.
Hedonites Gain Temptation, Control, and Paragon Tricks
Jean-Baptiste Aymes, the current Age of Sigmar World Champion and longtime Slaanesh player, gives the battletome a competitive read. The army still feels unpredictable, manipulative, and somewhat fast, but it now has more tools to dictate tempo.
At the center are Paragons, chosen up to three at a time under Slaanesh’s gaze. Sigvald, Glutos, and Shalaxi always qualify, which makes sense for the faction’s biggest egos.
However, non-Unique Paragons can Fall From Grace after poor charges, miscasts, or heavy damage from non-attack abilities. That rule is wonderfully cruel, because Slaanesh rewards brilliance and sneers at failure. The broader temptation mechanics force both players into awkward choices.
Hedonites can slow movement, restrict charges, disrupt hit rolls, interfere with commands, and mess with combat activation. In practice, you are making the opponent play your game while pretending they still have agency.
Glutos looks especially obnoxious, with durability, healing, movement control, charge reduction, and flexible delicacy buffs. Sigvald remains the vain blender, although his anti-ward drops while he gains another attack.
The Lord of Hysteria helps mortal infantry by adding attacks and giving nearby infantry Anti-charge Rend.
Meanwhile, Shalaxi gains excellent hunting tools, including Retreat and Charge, Strike-first support, and bonuses into Monsters and Heroes.
Daemonettes lose some raw lethality, but movement tricks and Last Ecstasy keep them dangerous.
The Masque looks disruptive, dancing into combat during movement and shutting down commands. Also, Thricefold Discord returns as a resilient, magical, non-Unique Hero option for Paragon play.
Classic Old World Models Return With Hobby Personality
The Old World wave is pure nostalgia bait, and honestly, that is not a bad thing.
Baby Dragons lead the Made to Order lineup, arriving as five tiny sculpts in different hatching stages. They are adorable, but they also look useful as objectives, scenic basing pieces, or campaign trophies.
Next, Mercenary Ogres return in sets with great weapons, hand weapons, and a cheerful Captain. Their rougher gear suits Empire of Man or Dwarfen Mountain Holds forces.
Orc Raiders also arrive as two loot-covered characters, complete with trophies and a pig. Finally, the Baggage Train Carts return, pulled by a horse and mule. These work as objectives, mission tokens, or proper matched play pieces. Orders open 4 July for one week, with delivery potentially taking up to 180 days.
Summary and Final Thoughts
Overall, Slaanesh gets the deeper rules update, while The Old World gets the stronger hobby nostalgia hit. The battletome rewards clever sequencing and psychological pressure. Meanwhile, the Made to Order range offers charming pieces that make armies feel lived in. Together, they show Warhammer at its best again.
