Prepare to Embrace the Rot: A New Era of Decay Dawns for Warhammer Fans
Warhammer enthusiasts, brace yourselves for a putrid yet captivating journey into the heart of corruption with the upcoming release centered around the Maggotkin of Nurgle. If you've ever felt a twisted fascination with the cycle of decay and rebirth, or if you revel in the slow, grinding warfare that mirrors the relentless spread of disease, then this is your moment to dive headfirst into a world where rot is revered as a gift. But here's where it gets controversial: can the spread of disease and despair truly be seen as a benevolent act, as the followers of Nurgle claim? Let’s explore this morbidly fascinating faction and decide for ourselves.
Battletome: Maggotkin of Nurgle – A Comprehensive Guide to Corruption
The Battletome: Maggotkin of Nurgle is a sprawling 106-page tome that delves into the bloated legions of the Plague God, their festering domains, and their unyielding battle for the Realm of Life. This guide is not just a rulebook; it’s a celebration of the grotesque, complete with stunning art galleries and miniature showcases that highlight the loathsome beauty of Nurgle’s followers. And this is the part most people miss: it’s not just about destruction—it’s about transformation, as Nurgle’s servants see their work as a necessary step in the cycle of life, no matter how repulsive it may seem.
For the tacticians among you, the book introduces updated battle traits, enhancements, warscrolls, and even two Regiments of Renown and two Armies of Renown. Plus, there’s a new Spearhead and Path to Glory rules to keep your strategies fresh and deadly. And for those who prefer a more compact experience, a smaller gamer’s edition comes with a full set of 56 reference cards—but act fast, as this version is only available while supplies last.
Meet the Icons of Decay
Leading the charge is Festus the Leechlord, a former plague doctor turned daemon alchemist. Riding atop the monstrous Gathoblyt, Festus debilitates foes with vile poisons and conjures parasitic leeches to drain their life force. His plastic kit is a masterpiece of diseased detail, complete with two head options to customize his sinister appearance.
Next, we have the Sloven Knights, a dark parody of noble cavaliers. These dread figures ride plague-ridden steeds and spread an aura of despair, causing enemies to falter as they charge in with brutal, blunted weapons. Their kit allows you to build three knights with a variety of head options, ensuring each one exudes a unique brand of misery.
Putrid Blightkings are Nurgle’s most devoted mortals, swollen to overwhelming size with rot and disease. Their pious proclamations and noisome stench warp reality, disrupting the spells and prayers of their foes. This kit lets you build five Blightkings, with an alternate head for the champion and the option to turn one into a standard bearer.
Rotswords, feverish and jittery, rush into battle exuding an overwhelming stench that even the staunchest warriors struggle to withstand. Their kit includes 10 miniatures with unique options for a champion, musician, and standard bearer, along with interchangeable heads, weapons, and shields.
Pestigors, beastmen who worship Nurgle as Father Blight, are nomadic vectors of contagion. Hunchbacked and potbellied, they fight with frenzied vigor, spreading ruin wherever they go. Their kit builds 10 Beastmen with options for a champion, standard bearer, and musician.
The Court of Gelgus Pust brings the Prince of Sores, Belga the Cystwitch, and Shaman Foulhoof to the battlefield. Gelgus pollutes the land and crushes foes, while Belga summons Plaguebearers with each death and Foulhoof enhances the Pestigors’ combat prowess. All three are push-fit, single-pose miniatures.
The Cankerborn, ancient daemons summoned by acts of desecration, flicker across the battlefield to cut down foes with colossal blightblades. Their kit includes two Cankerborn and two Pestilent Pollutant tokens.
Pox-Wretches, outcasts who embrace disease with unhealthy fervor, are accompanied by slimy Mire Kelpies that aid in spreading contagion. Their kit builds 14 Pox-Wretches and six Mire Kelpies, with options for unique builds.
Spoilpox Scrivener, a miserable Plaguebearer tasked with cataloguing the tally of death, returns as a solo release. His foul mood is only alleviated by browbeating other daemons into efficiency.
Regiments of Renown: The Pustules is a tallyband of Plaguebearers that seeds a Feculent Gnarlmaw for healing and regeneration. A Spoilpox Scrivener ensures they stay on task. This box is available while stocks last.
Spearhead: Bubonic Cell combines daemons and mortals into a force that cultivates Nurgle’s garden far and wide. Led by a Rotbringer Sorcerer, this detachment draws on the cycle of corruption to overwhelm foes.
Spearhead: Helforge Host features the Helsmiths of Hashut, who extract resources from their enemies. This set includes a War Despot, Infernal Cohort, Dominator Engine, Tormentor Bombard, and a transfer sheet with 450 decals.
Maggotkin of Nurgle Warscroll Cards and Dice Set includes 45 reference cards and 16 dice in a pale green swirl color, perfect for completing your corrupted collection.
Literature to Feed Your Dark Curiosity
For those who prefer their decay in narrative form, Verminslayer by David Guymer returns in paperback, exploring Gotrek Gurnisson’s quest in the plague-ridden Greywater Fastness. Grombrindal: Ancestor’s Burden by Chris Thursten offers an anthology of duardin tales, including the short novel The Maker’s Promise. Both are available for pre-order in paperback.
Lastly, French readers can relive the Dropsite Massacre by John French, a fresh perspective on the Horus Heresy’s most notorious betrayal. Available for pre-order in eBook and paperback formats.
Final Thoughts: Embrace the Rot or Resist It?
The Maggotkin of Nurgle challenge us to see beauty in decay and purpose in despair. But is their vision of the cycle of life truly a gift, or just a twisted justification for destruction? What do you think? Is Nurgle’s philosophy a necessary part of the natural order, or a perversion of it? Share your thoughts in the comments—let’s spark a discussion as contentious as the faction itself!
