We’re placing our bets on the latest Warhammer Rumor Engine preview: this time, it’s a Soulblight Gravelords mini. Games Workshop’s teaser on June 11 shows a gnarly polearm blade pitted with corrosion – a sure sign of vampiric taint, but what kind of mini could it be attached to?
In the spirit of due process, we’ll run through the other Age of Sigmar armies that might wield this style of armament – though we’re certain it’s a Soulblight Gravelords figure. We’re treating the possibility of this being a Warhammer 40k faction preview as a non-starter – the Death Guard use a few rusty, non-scifi weapons, but they’re both more corrupted and less delicate than this.
The Age of Sigmar Skaven army is getting a whole new model range for AoS 4th edition, and they don’t keep their weapons in great condition, so there’s an outside chance that this is a new Stormvermin halberd – the old miniatures have been retired, after all. While Skaven blades can be curved and rust-pitted, neither feature is this pronounced, so we think it’s unlikely this is a Skaven mini.
Nurgle’s mortal followers, the Maggotkin Rotbringers, do let their weapons get this crusty, but the blade and haft in the preview are too delicate for their bloated fingers. Flesheater Court weapons are in a similar deplorable state, but are less decorative and more functional.
The closest match we can find for this blade is the halberd carried by Watch Captain Halgrim in GW’s dungeon crawler board game Cursed City – not a perfect match, as it has more sharp angles, but a very similar balance of curves, rust, and heft. The Askurgan Trueblades – a band of vampire ascetics that debuted in Warcry – have weapons without the rust but with similar blade profiles.
The blade doesn’t look special enough to be part of a new character model. We’re hoping this is a new Grave Guard great weapon, as they’re a key unit in the Soulblight Gravelords range that’s badly in need of a model update. There’s also the possibility it could be for a Warcry or Underworlds warband.
Whatever it is, it’s not another Space Marine unit, so that’s nice. To find out if we’re right or wrong in our prediction, and to keep up with Age of Sigmar news, follow Wargamer on Google News.
Source: Wargamer
