Join us in this review and unboxing of Warcry: Briar and Bone, as we unbox the contents, from models to the exclusive warband tome, and provide an in-depth review of what this new Warcry expansion has to offer. As the final showdown in the Ravening Ruin draws near, these Teratic Cohorts of the Ossiarch Bonereapers and Sylvaneth Twistweald vie for control over the potent relics hidden within the wrecked Seraphon temple ship, Talaxis.

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Warcry: Briar and Bone review and unboxing
This item was kindly provided by Games Workshop. Thoughts and opinions are our own.

Warcry: Briar and Bone can be preordered from Saturday, July 27, 2024. 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:

  • Sylvaneth Twistweald (8 models)
  • Ossiarch Bonereapers Teratic Cohorts (8 models)
  • a Ravening Gnarloak terrain piece
  • the 64 pages Briar and Bone warband tome
  • 42 battleplan and 18 warband cards
Warcry: Briar and Bone box contents
© Copyright Games Workshop Limited, used without permission

Sylvaneth Twistweald warband review

Twistweald are Sylvaneth affected by parasitic afflictions that consume them with rage, adding a dark tortured twist to the noble treespirits. The two-part medium-sized sprue contain 8 models. Here is what you can build:

  • The Swarmsage comes on a 40mm base and doesn’t have any assembly or posing options
  • Twistroot Warden 1 can either have a Guardian Bow, a Guardian Halberd, or Spitespear and shield, and comes on a 32mm base
  • Twistroot Warden 2 can either have a Guardian Halberd, or Spitespear and shield, and comes on a 32mm base
  • Twistroot Revenant 1 can either have a Briarlash and a 40mm base, or a Harvester Blade sickle or sword, comes then on a 32mm base
  • Twistroot Revenant 2 can either have a Harvester Blade sickle or sword, and comes on a 32mm base
  • As per the manual, the 3 Twistroot Dryads don’t have any assembly or posing options, but the arms are on ball joints and the heads are exchangeable as well, they come on 28mm bases
Sylvaneth Twistweald sprues from Warcry: Briar and Bone review

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

At first glance, you might not notice many differences from the regular Sylvaneth models. Upon closer inspection, you’ll see mushrooms growing all over and thorny vines winding around their bodies like tentacles. The leader, in particular, is quite spectacular, shrouded in a swarm of bees. We also see newly designed Dryads for the first time, now sharing more design elements with the Treelords.

The included models add up to 980 to 990 points, making them playable as a warband without any additional purchases.

Ossiarch Bonereapers Teratic Cohort

The Teratic Cohort are Ossiarch Bonereapers who have failed Nagash and been reformed to lower, bestial constructs. They are effective hunters and trackers seeking to redeem their shame. This warband, as is customary with Warcry, is spread across two medium-sized sprues containing 8 models. Here are all the options:

  • The Kavalos Centari comes on a 60mm oval base and doesn’t have any assembly or posing options
  • Both Aviarch Harpies come on 28mm bases and don’t have any options or optional parts either
  • Both Mortek Cyclopians come on 32mm bases and can choose between right arms with either Dread Glaives or Nadirite Bidents
  • Terratic Prowler 1 can choose between an armoured headpiece with horns or without, Prowlers 2 and 3 can each choose between a horned or plain head, they all come on 28mm bases
Ossiarch Bonereapers Teratic Cohort from Warcry: Briar and Bone review

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

The Teratic Cohort is significantly weirder compared to the Sylvaneth Twistwealds. This warband includes centaurs, little doggos, hulking warriors, and winged harpies. It offers a wealth of material for new units if the Ossiarch Bonereapers ever receive a second wave of models. Assembly can be a bit tricky, as there are many oddly shaped details like spines that require careful trimming. However, the result is a dynamic and diverse warband, which totals 995 points with the included models. The Teratic Cohort has a unique mechanic allowing them to generate extra wild dice, which can be potentially quite powerful in gameplay.

A look at the Ravening Gnarloak

The Ravening Gnarloak comes on a single large sprue. The sprue has a somewhat reduced level of detail, similar to what is often seen with terrain pieces. This suggests that this sprue was also outsourced to China. The design of this walking Dune II popcorn bucket is certainly unique – more monster than terrain piece. The battleplans included in the warband tome make good use of the Ravening Gnarloak.

Ravening Gnarloak sprue from Warcry: Briar and Bone review

Briar and Bone warband tome contents and accessories

The Warcry: Briar and Bone warband tome is a thin softcover book with 66 pages. Aside from new lore you’ll find background and rules for both new warbands, as well as quests, background tables, a shared campaign arc, and a new battleplan generator. Also included are battle traits for all warbands released to date as well as the four Grand Alliances. These are bonus effects that cost no ability dice or action points and apply to the entire warband.

Warcry: Briar and Bone warband tome contents page

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). Like all the battleplans in this season of Warcry, the setups combine the terrain from the now out-of-print Ravaged Lands Scales of Talaxis box with the Ravaging Gnarloak piece from Briar and Bone.

Value

Warcry: Briar and Bone has the same RRP as the previous Warcry expansion boxes of this season, which is £80 / 105 € / $135. There’s not much plastic in the box, and the book is also relatively thin. However, you still save 35% to 40% compared to buying everything individually, especially since Games Workshop has recently priced terrain pieces quite high. Additionally, keep in mind that the warband tomes are no longer available separately.

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I hope you found this review helpful, feel free to leave a reaction or comment below, post your questions here, or discuss on our Discord channel.

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Pros

  • 2 brand new warbands and a new terrain piece
  • Both warbands look great and introduce a couple of new ideas
  • Comes with all unit and battleplan cards

Cons

  • Not that much plastic for a box of this size

Final Verdict

"Briar and Bone" impresses with two beautifully designed warbands, both of which fit well into the Ghur setting. Additionally, there's the usual mix of new terrain and corresponding battleplans. The XXX are a nice addition. I'm very curious to see where the Skaventide will take the next season of Warcry.