Forces of Fantasy

A Warhammer Supplement

Review by Daniel Greenberg

Written by Richard Priestley and Bryan Ansell
Games Workshop U.S. 9110 F Red Branch Road, Columbia, MD 21045
Released: October, 1984
Catalog No.: 3002
Price: $13.00
Complexity: Intermediate
Solitaire Suitability: Low

Forces of Fantasy is a detailed supplement pack for the Warhammer fantasy battles miniatures rules system. It is a set of four booklets that cover rules expansion, fantasy armies, battlefield magic, miniatures painting, and Warhammer errata. it is designed to provide color and depth to the bare-bones Warhammer rules system with elaborate troop descriptions, races, monsters, war machinery, treasure, runes, and other fantasy trappings. It also makes the sketchy Warhammer system clearer and more playable by providing a breakdown of battalion organization, game setup procedures, and a troop-point-cost system. It is intended for use with the Citadel line of miniatures, but it can be used with anv miniatures, cardboard heroes or even counters. Some of the material here has been printed before, in sources like White Dwarf magazine, but this is the first time it has been published in collected form.

The first booklet is called Forces of Fantasy and is the heart of the supplement. it presents complete statistics on the differ- ent troop types of two dozen fantasy races, from Wood Elves to Night Goblins and from Halflings to Giants, included are racial and cultural descriptions, regiment specifications, individual characters of the race, and special rules. The book is written precisely and simply but with wit and style. Giants have attacks like "Pick Up and Eat" and "Yelling and Bawling," which "bombard his foes with a frightening blast of sound and rancid air." Most of the races are stereotypes (Vikings are "drunken thugs" and Orientals are "strange" and "cruel"), but they are fun stereotypes and are useful for conveying the spirit of the troops and allowing a range of personality on the board.

The second booklet is titled Fighting Fantasy Battles and contains new combat rules, clarifications of some of the more confusing elements of the original system, and an extended section on the miniatures themselves (collecting, painting and designing their insignia). The new material, like battlefield set-up and troop deployment, is aimed at making games flow more smoothly The section on miniatures is profusely illustrated with imaginative designs for skields, banners, and weapons. Some of the designs are exceptionally nice and truly capture the feeling of the race. High Elven insignia is intricate and has a celestial theme, Wood Elven insignia has a delicate nature theme, and Halfling banners are simple and rustic.

The third booklet, Arcane Magicks, contains a series of magic items, new spells, and treasure. There are numerous lists and charts for acquisition of the new items.

The fourth booklet, The Book of Battalions, is a paperbound collection of personalized regiments, like The Spearmen of the White Haven and Abdul El Hazzarin~ Blue Archers of Fate. it provides a breakdown of troops by type and points and is very helpful for providing examples of the point system at work.

The plethora of material in Forces of Fantasy is well written and clearly presented, unlike the original Warhammer rules. It is well detailed and shows playtesting. The layouts and logos are creatively well rendered. The illustrations are numerous but of varying quality Some are quite good, but many are cluttered and seem to be pretty standard fantasy art. Good or bad, the art reveals a consistent world. Orcs look like orcs in each appearance, rather than generic goblinoids. The supplement is stylish and witty and makes for breezy reading, unlike the heavyhanded technical approach of most miniatures systems.

These rules enhance the original system so much that it plays almost like a different game. Portions of Warhammer that seemed vague or uninspired become clearer and more exciting. It is not a supplement as much as it is the missing part of the first rules set. The new troop personalities such as drunken moronic giants, fanatic goblin shamans, and unstable undead refresh a system that used to be concerned with regimented monster bashing.

On the whole, the rules are well organized. The charts are where they logically belong and are easy to read and follow. Referencing between Warhammer and Forces of Fantasy can be a problem, but this is due mostly to Warhammer's organizational flaws. Forces of Fantasy does have a few problems of its own, though. For instance, troop battle tactics by race are listed in book two in the section on painting miniatures, and not in book one with the rest of the race descriptions.

The game in play is a good mixture of strategy and luck. Sometimes the tide of battle can be completely changed due to the high probability of bizarre events occurring, but on the whole tactics and planning will carry the day. The point system is a good unifying standard and helps balance the tremendously varied factors involved in assembling troops; however, it is not perfect. For example, certain types of low-powered goblins are very cheap. Under a strong leader, they make excellent cannon fodder and are capable of overrunning even more expensive armies by sheer weight of numbers.

While there is much that is new and innovative in Forces of Fantasy, it seems rather strongly based on old Dungeons & Dragons concepts. There are many of the same monsters, spells, and magic items. The best facets of the game are those that are new and original. The races that received the most re-working have a mystique and a fascinating appeal. These portions of the supplement have such flair that they could be used on their own in a fantasy role-playing game to breathe new life into tired monster types.

Had the designers trusted their own creativity more fully, the game would be substantially better. However, the D&D work-alike feature does make the game easy to integrate with a fantasy campaign. Warhammer may be just what a D&D playing wargamer wants.

Forces of Fantasy is a pleasing, professional package and will appeal to anyone who wants a good fantasy miniatures rules set. It is essential for the growing ranks of Warhammer enthusiasts, as it makes Warhammer not only playable, but turns it into what is probably the best system available for fantasy battles.

(Note: Forces of Fan" is a supplement to first edition Warhammer. Much of its material is included in the newly revised second edition of Warhammer.)

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