Review: Warcry: Pyre and Flood

In the tangled depths of the Gnarlwood, a battle of elemental forces unfolds in Warcry: Pyre & Flood. This latest expansion brings two new warbands into the fray – the Ydrilan Riverblades and the Pyregheists. As the Nighthaunt seek to engulf the verdant realm in flames, the Lumineth Realm-lords stand as its protectors. With high-resolution sprue images and an exploration of both warbands’ build options, this review dives into the heart of the conflict raging within the Ravening Ruin.

Warcry: Pryre and Flood can be preordered from Saturday, April 6, 2023. It goes on sale two weeks later, following a two-week preorder window. Please note that these kinds of boxes have only one production run, so it’s available until stocks last.

Included in the box are:

• 10 Lumineth Realmlords Ydrilan Riverblades
• 8 Nighthaunt Pyregheists
• an Idol of the Old Ones terrain piece
• the 64 pages Pyre and Flood warband tomee
• 42 battleplan and 20 warband cards

Nighthaunt Pyregheists warband review

Pyregheists are former alchemists, embalmers and people who preserved the souls of the dead with sacred fires and blessed unguents, for which they are condemned to be tormented by eternal balefire by Nagash. The two medium-size sprues contain 8 models: 1 Deacon of Flames (40mm base), 2 Balefire Guard and 2 Flamewraiths (32mm bases), and 3x Torchwraiths (28mm bases). Here are all the options:

• The Deacon of Flames has a choice of two heads, plus two ends for his staff to represent either Pyrekeeper’s Tongs or a Brazier-staff
• The two Balefire Guards have two pairs of arms each, with either a Flaming Halberd or a Scorch Flail
• The two Flamewraiths also have two pairs of arms each, with either a Brazier-staff or Balefire Torches
• The three Torchwraiths are single-build models without any posing options or optional pieces.

Patreon bonus content: Uncompressed versions of these sprue images (and backsides) in extra high resolution can be found here.

I have mixed feelings about the design of the Pyregheists. For me, Nighthaunt models are characterised by simplicity, dynamic poses and strong silhouettes. The Pyregheists, on the other hand, seem overloaded with details to me. I still quite like the larger spectres, but the design of the three Torchwraiths seems overly cluttered to me.

Lumineth Realm-lords Yldrian Riverblades

The Riverblades are the warrior-monks of the temple of Yldrian, which is dedicated to Hysh’s rushing rivers. In combat, they flow like water as they leap and strike with fluid movements. The two medium-sized sprues build 10 models: 1 Pureflood Seneschal, 4 Crestdancers, and 5 Stream-runners (all on 32mm bases). Here are all the weapon and cosmetic options:

• The Pureflood Seneschal can either have a pair of arms with Master’s Blades, or with an Ylrian Warglaive, or with Ylthara Darts. You can also attach either sheathed blades or a quiver to the back, the quiver is for the darts.
• 3 out of 4 Crestdancers are monopose models without any options; 1 Crestdancer has a choice of either a pair of arms with Roped Sickle and a matching head, or a pair of arms with Twin-spear and a matching head
• 4 out of 5 Stream-runners are monopose models without any options; 1 Stream-runner has a choice of either a pair of arms with Crestblades and a matching head, or a pair of arms with Riversteel Weapons and a matching head

Patreon bonus content: Uncompressed versions of these sprue images (and backsides) in extra high resolution can be found here.

The silhouettes and dynamic poses of the Ydrilan Riverblades are reminiscent of the Harlequins of the Aeldari. Models in jumping and racing poses are often a matter of taste, but I think the sculpts are well done. I particularly like the fact that each of the 10 poses has subtle differences. Contrary to some comments I’ve read on forums, the Riverblades’ bodies are not simply mirrored. However, seven out of ten models are monopose without any options or interchangeable parts.

I also like that as a lightly armoured skirmisher unit, they add a whole new facet to the Lumineth Realm-lords range. In contrast, the Nighthaunt “just” seem to be new variations of Grimghast Reapers and Chainrasps with new weapons.

Idol of the Old Ones terrain piece

Warcry: Pyre and Flood includes a new piece of scenery, an Idol of the Old Ones. This broken headpiece comes on a single large sprue and shows the face of an Old One on one side, on the other side there are stepped platforms on which models can be placed. The piece fits in well with the Seraphon theme, which is intended to represent the fragments of the Seraphon voidship Talaxis, which crashed deep in the Gnarlwood. But the Idol of the Old Ones would also look good on a Lustria of The Old World gaming table. It’s not a super large piece of terrain though.

Pyre and Flood warband tome contents and accessories

As always in Warcry expansion boxes, a warband tome is included. Pyre and Flood is a thin softcover book with 66 pages. In addition to new Gnarlwood lore, the two new warbands are introduced, and the warband rules are also included.

In addition to the book, you will also receive matching cards for both warbands, as well as 42 battleplan cards (6 terrain cards, 12 deployment cards, 12 victory cards, and 12 twist cards). For the battleplans in the book you will need the terrain from the now out-of-print Ravaged Lands Scales of Talaxis as well as the idol of the Old Ones.

Value

Warcry: Pyre and Flood has the same RRP as the previous expansion box, which is £80 / 105 € / $135. It’s £5 / 5 € / $5 less than Kill Team: Nightmare (review here), which releases at the same day but comes with about half the amount of sprues. You still save about 35% to 40% over individual purchasing the models included, and it seems that the warband tomes will no longer be released outside these expansion boxes.

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