Have you already picked up your copy of White Dwarf? Either way, check out my review for this month’s issue. This time I went for a more in-depth coverage where I go through each article and add my comments, hope you like it. I must say I wasn’t very impressed with this issue. Find out why after the jump!
So, here are the contents:
New Releases, News – 32 pages
32 pages of just pictures of the new Empire models and paint pots. I mean that is 1/4 of the issue! This is getting sillier every month. I agree there must be pictures of the new models but one or two pages for each new kit must be enough.
The All-New Citadel Paint Range – 8 pages
This article shows off the new paint range. They dedicate each new type of paint a whole page, where they show you how to use the specific type and give you some advice from the hobby team. Quite a nice read to get into the new range, sadly the ‘Eavy Metal team was pretty much absent in terms of advice, but oh my.
Citadel Miniatures: Painting Guide: Part One – 10 pages
Here they reprinted the painting guides from the website, but had also 24 small step by step tutorials for painting various materials and had also a look into the new How to paint Citadel Miniatures book/binder. Quite nice to see how the new paints look like on models. However for the painting guide you have to turn the magazine by 90 degrees – handy for a binder that you put on your table, but in a magazine it’s just ardous. Maybe they did it because the guides are copy pasted from the new book? Anyways, next issue will probably see part two with even more painting guides.
Advert: Paint station and hobby products – 2 pages
Sigmar’s Heirs – 12 pages
Now this was a big let down. Just like the last couple of months there are no designer notes, no talk with the designers or sculptors at all. Just pictures of old and new models and random blurbs of text and fluff that present only a superficial overview of the different troop types of the Empire. They don’t talk about what’s new in the book or what has changed in terms of rules. There is a two page map of the Empire which is nice but probably copy pasted from the army book. All in all I felt even the “Getting Started” articles from the website have more depth than this. Only suitable for the most humble Empire noobs, veterans will find nothing interesting in this.
The Reign of Karl Franz – 5 pages
One page a full blown picture, one page Franz’s bestiary entry from the new army book copy pasted, a two page spread of a Realms of Battle board with Empire and Orc models on it and small fluff blurbs, one page of more pictures with more random text blurbs. Meh.
Civil War Part 4 – 5 pages
Wow, they really managed to spread a couple of tables over four issues. This time it’s the final part with Empire, Dwarfs and Skaven.
Battle Missions: Death Worlds – 11 pages
Phil Kelly brings us a small 40k expansion with three new battle missions for hostile environments and four new D6 tables for various dangerous game effects. This seems quite fun and is probably the best bit of this issue, even though the text size is so big that they could have fit this easily on fewer pages.
Battle Report: The Wolf and the Kraken – 6 pages
This is a short battle report featuring 1.000 points of both Space Wolves and Tyranids playing one of the death world battle missions from the article before. It’s nice that both forces are no ‘Eavy Metal armies – the Tyranid one was painted for the new How to paint Citadel Miniatures book and the Space Wolves army for the next article. Still, the report is very short.
Advert: Space Wolves and Tyranid battle forces – 2 pages
Army Project: Space Wolves – 8 pages
This features a small Space Wolves army painted by Steve Bowerman, who did the Thunderwolves Cavalry last month. 4 pages are tutorials, which are only step by step pictures with icons that show which paint and brush was used, but are otherwise uncommented, like in the Citadel paints article before. Those pages and the finished showcase are also flipped by 90 degress…
Four Generals: Lord of the Rings – 4 pages
Only four pages, the second spread was only pictures of the four armies with no comments. This was way to short.
16 pages of the usual directory of events, store adresses and the like…
1 page that has the paint conversion chart you can also download from the website
Then there was also a poster with random Citadel models and a chart of all the new paints
Verdict
Definately wasn’t impressed with this issue. It felt so short because 1/4th of the page count was made up of the new releases. The Empire coverage was laughable and on a marketing speech level, like a picture book. I feel they don’t even try anymore with their new releases. They must think that people buy it anyway. For me as a painter, the articles about the new paint range where quite a good read, and all the painting guides were helpful to adjust to the new range. However I feel it must be hard for a beginner when there is only a picture with an icon that shows you which paint and brush to use but or otherwise uncommented. All in all I hope WD gets a new editor and direction soon, it seems that everything good that Mark Latham (the former editor) has introduced has already been forgotten…
3/10 (4/10 if you like painting)
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Stahly
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Good read on this.. haven't had a WD subscription in years.. and am not regretting it at all it seems.. would prefer it goes back even further to the days of Fat Bloke as director.. those were the golden years of WD..
I agree with your review, I am looking forward to the future direction of WD (hopefully in less than three years). This is some veeeeery lazy work; and that is all the more disappointing as the figs are impressive (at least that's what I think :P). And where did the Eavy masterclass go?
Yes Fail GW for now putting out a catalog instead of a hobby magazine. Thank you Stahly for doing the review. It is appreciated!!!!
Thanks,
Matt
WD is nothing like it usd to be in the early 2000s. The issues released nowadays are, just plain and simple, a catelog book for games workshop to promote their products even though the people who buy the book already know about them. The marketing team must have the easiest jobs in the world or are paid to be super lazy. Seriously, when did a launch of something surprise us or even made us mouth water in anticipation? So far, it has been like "oh we are releasing something new? Let's shove it all in to an issue of WD with articles we will remove from the website……….
I cancelled my subscription a while ago and just pick them up in store when it looks like a decent issue but those are few and far between now. Still like their paints and minis though.
Zab
Thanks for the review.
I decided to spend the money on Historical Miniatures instead 🙂 – SAGA, Bolt Action WW2 figs, Flames of War, Napoleon at War and Ancients
While I still enjoy the odd 40K and WHFB game with mates and love GW figures but the pricing has been slowly getting beyond my budget. I will play with what I have but will not be adding to my collection.
The White Dwarf magazine just feels like you are paying to look at the GW New Release Catalogue. Not nearly enough hobby content.
Keep up the great brush work on the site guys!
It is a regular on my list of blogs to watch 😉
Happy Gaming,
Allan