Warhammer the Old World New Core Set!

The new core set for TOW arrived a couple days ago! This is one hefty box - I weighed myself holding the box and it's literally 10 lbs (probably the core rule book being a majority of it)!

The model list from the back of the box

The inside is chock full of sprues and accessories...funny these templates have been the same (although differing colors) since I started playing WFB 6th edition. I still have my red ones from the 7th ed collectors set!

Removing the sprues and accessories, there is a paper partition that separates the books and bases at the bottom of the box.

Underneath, the main core rule book is wrapped up in a cardboard box and some more cardboard partitions...looks like mine got a bit roughed up in transport (or perhaps why mine box was discounted; might've been dropped!)

Seals of freshness TM on the booklets and the core rule book box!

The very bottom of the box contains the bases and the decal transfer sheet...strange that some bases are wrapped and the others seemingly just tossed in there (curses!)

Closer shot of the tempaltes...yup they're Warhammer templates! Even have the same markings as the ones I have from years past.

Close up of the decals sheet. Lot of intricate patterns, especially for the Cathayan side.

The dice are the standard white with black pip dice and 2 scatter dice. Simple and easy to read. Essential for playing this game as well.

The 2 booklets that come in this box are the "Muster Lists" (left) which contain the warband rules for the Chaos and Cathay sides, and the "Core Set" (right) one that is a nicely bound, glossy page assembly instruction manual for all the minis in the box. 

A couple pages from the "Muster List" booklet...this one is staple bound

The assembly book is bound like the Arcane Journals - I think this is the fanciest assembly instruction booklet I've seen in a Warhammer kit! The usually is a black and white "photocopy" level of quality booklet. Some of the "better" assembly booklets (like some of the AoS ones) are glossy paper as well with a similar level of detail, but staple bound (not book bound like this). This one fancy! I also appreciate the pics of the sprues base counts so that you have references, especially if you have cut bits off the sprue and have forgotten what number they are.

The rulebook box also contains a paper game mat and 2 copies of "cheat sheet" game rules. Nice of them to include 2 copies for each player.

The game mat...it's printed on glossy "poster" stock. I think this is a nice touch, but will likely be ripped and damaged after a few sessions due to being paper. It would be great if it came laminated or perhaps thicker cardboard. I also imagine minis falling over due the creases on the mat/not laying flat...still nice to have a gaming surface nonetheless for newbies.

One side features a dry badlands type of environment. It looks like they made a flocked game board with painted vegetation terrain pieces and took a precisely overhead shot of it. Visually I like this better than say an illustrated one as it matches the minis better IMO. Perhaps this is also to get new players accustomed to seeing GW terrain and hope that there are future sales. I'm surprised GW doesn't sell their own neoprene game mats!

The reverse side is another map that looks like a greener stony field. The battle mat measures about 44x30 inches (or roughly 3.6 x 2.5 feet). An odd size as I am used to the og 72x48 inch (6x4 feet) gaming surface. Although if I recall correctly, in the later days of my AoS gaming days the battlefield had also shrunk. I think this is to make it so games would fit on dining tables better (a 6x4 table is pretty large!). There are ways around it; my friends and I used to just shorted the depth of the deployment zones for both players to accomodate playing on smaller dining tables).

 

 Closer shot of the grasslands side...

...and of the other side

Time to get crackin' on these minis! More to come!