What is Forumware?

Something that I have been delving into more in relation to my hobby projects is forumware. This term defines any small scale independent production of miniatures that are typically used for an existing game system such as Epic Armageddon or Warhammer 40K. If you look hard enough on certain fan forums like Tactical Command (hence the term “forumware”) or individual hobby blogs you will encounter this product. If you can find someone producing their own you can sometimes purchase it for a modest price or alternatively if it’s no longer being produced (like Otterware) then you can sometimes spot it on Ebay going for a hefty price.

 

Forumware Grey Knights for Epic

 

I wanted to show off some of the forumware that I am working on for my Epic Necrons. I recently acquired a Ghost Ark that is being used as a Warbarque in Epic. I have also included a pic of a rare Otterware Obelisk for Necrons. As of the timing of this article you can still purchase the Ghost Arks off of Ebay at a reasonable price.

 

Trolls Ghost Ark

OOP Otterware Obelisk sans corners

 

 

Forumware is the gaming communities’ answer to filling the gap that Games Workshop left after dropping specialist games. Just because specialist games are no longer supported doesn’t mean that you have to resort to the secondary market to build your army. So far the people that I have dealt with when purchasing this product have been reputable and the quality of the miniatures are top notch. If you are looking to purchase some for yourself be patient because the process takes a bit longer than your normal web purchase and be sure to use a paypal account for your transactions just in case the deal turns sour.

The Merits of Kings of War

 

 

After reality has set in that Warhammer as I knew it was no more I considered my options. One was to stick with 8^th edition and find like minded people who were ok playing with a “dead” set of rules or I could branch out and try other systems like Mantic’s Kings of War Game. One thing that was appealing about Kings of War is that it was developed by some ex-GW designers that worked on my favorite edition of Warhammer (6^th ed). Another appealing factor is that eventually all of the old Warhammer armies will have a playable list within Kings of War. Having made up my mind I decided to try it out.

 

Turn 2 demo game

 

 

It was easy finding some people at my LFGS to teach my how to play KoW. My first game was more of a demo-style match where I brought my Chaos Dwarves… er, I mean Abyssal Dwarves. It was low points so I can grasp some of the basics. One thing that I had to get used to is that I no longer needed to remove individual models. In KoW your whole unit suffers wounds that stack and you roll a “nerve” test whenever wounds are taken. Sometimes this may cause your unit to route because the more wounds you suffer the harder it is to keep your nerve and stay in the fight. My demo was a win (of course!) as I was able to route the elves off the battlefield mainly due to my most powerful Obsidian Golems (used K’daii models).

 

Turm 4 demo game. Finishing off the elves

 

 

My luck didn’t quite hold up in my second follow up game where I played a larger 900 point game. My opponent was the same, but this time I brought more toys to the battlefield like a Great Mortar (used a Hellcannon) and Slave Orcs (Hobgoblins). I made an early error when positioning my army and paid dearly for it as my slave orcs were overextended and couldn’t quite hold my flank. The elves had superior magic and shooting. I lost my entire army by the end of the match and inflicted little damage in return.

 

After having played two games of KoW I ended up liking it as an alternative to Age of Sigmar. The game is more simplified than 8^th ed which allows for faster games, but still retains some of the tactical elements that I liked from the Warhammer style of game play like unit facing, point costs, terrain inhibitors, and regiments. On top of that the rules are also free! I would suggest giving Kings of War a try if you are seeking an alternative to Age of Sigmar.

If you would like to see some more battle reports for Kings of War check out Jason Zmuda's YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCESR150chkbfxXSaWfcl_KQ