Warhammer Fantasy Battles (WHFB) is a table-top war game using small models to represent troops. WHFB is based on a Tolkien-like fantasy world, where Orcs battle it out with Elves, Humans and Dwarves. There are many other races of course, including the Skaven rats and the Lizardmen.
Below - the Warhammer boxed set is £50
You buy, assemble and paint metal or plastic models (standard troops tend to be plastic, while more important and detailed models such as monsters or generals are made out of metal). You then choose your army from your troops, this involves many restrictions and various rules to make sure you have a fair army, as opposed to a 'beardy' one. Now you can battle other people who have an army that is the same points value (each model costs a certain number of points) as you.
Typical troops are infantry, cavalry (left) and missile troops. Then there's war machines, and of course you need a general to lead and inspire your troops.
Your troops move around the board, and they can fight the enemy. This is worked out via a series of dice rolls, with more skilled troops obviously having more chance of hitting, and stronger troops having more chance of penetrating armour etc. Shooting is much the same. Magic also plays a big part, with wizards available, to fry the foe with powerful spells.
The rules are very extensive, covering nearly every eventuality. They are very easy to pick up, although far too complicated to write here.
Above - skeleton warriors led by a Necromancer
Here is a list of all Fantasy armies - Orcs & Goblins, Empire, Dwarves, High Elves, Wood Elves, Dark Elves, Brettonians, Vampire Counts, Tomb Kings, Skaven, Lizardmen, Chaos (Beastmen, Chaos Warriors and Chaos Daemons). Below is a brief description of each army. You can find a more detailed description in the WHFB Races Page (coming soon).
Orcs and Goblins - huge green-skinned Orcs dominate the Old World. They are strong and tough, although a bit slow thinking. They are followed by many Goblins - smaller and weaker greenskins, but more cunning. Together they are almost unstoppable. Orcs fight constantly, and are very disorganized and clumsy. As a result, they are kept from overrunning the Old World by the Empire.
The Empire - humans are a rival power with Orcs in the Old World. They are weaker in combat, but more thoughtful and much more organized. While they may not be able to match an Orc one on one, they have powerful cannons to aid them. They also train many skilled Knights.
Dwarfs - dwarfs are an ancient race that is now in decline. Their numbers are few. However, their skill and strength is unmatched, and they still battle with their ancient enemies the Goblins. A Dwarf is short, stocky and muscular, perfect for defending positions. And they are expert crossbowmen. They are also the most skilled metal-workers in the world.
High Elves - high Elves are part of the family of Elves that split up long ago. These Elves are the masters of magic, and are very arrogant. Elves in general are weak and frail, but this does not hinder the High Elves who are among the most skilled swordsmen in the world. They have isolated themselves on the island of Ulthuan, far away from the Old World, where they constantly hone their skills.
Dark Elves - these are the evil kin of the High Elves. In a dispute over the practice of magic, they left Ulthuan and now reside in Naggaroth. They are evil, twisted murderers who delight in inflicting pain upon others. They constantly raid the Old World to take captives.
Wood Elves - yet another family of Elves that tore away from the High Elves long ago. They visited the Old World, but found it so entrancing that they refused to leave. Now they live in the massive forest of Athel Loren, and have returned to their roots. Living out in the wild, they are the best archers in the world, and have vowed to protect the forest from harm.
Brettonians - the most skilled Knights in the Old World. They are human, but unlike the Empire have chosen the Knight as their main weapon rather than cannons. Saying their holy prayers and vows, they charge into battle, fully armoured, on a barded warhorse. Almost nothing can stand their devastating charge.
Skaven - half man, half rat, they scheme and plot under the Old World, only emerging from their tunnels to burn and pillage the Empire. They have been mutated by Chaos and now can think of nothing but world domination. Skaven live only for a short time, but some are incredibly powerful magicians and can live for a long time.
Lizardmen - cut off from the rest of the world in the remote jungles of Lustria, the Lizardmen themselves are mindless creatures. But they are controlled by the Slaan, ancient toad-like beings, who are the most skilled wizards in the world. The combination of powerful magic and brute force is an extremely deadly one.
Vampire Counts - the Vampires raise mighty armies of zombies and skeletons to do their bidding, causing terror and panic in the Empire. The Vampires themselves are impossibly strong and cunning, and their lust for blood is insatiable. Many times they have brought the Empire to its knees.
Tomb Kings - the tomb kings live in Khemri. They are relics from a forgotten era of gold and power. And now they have risen again, along with their dead comrades, as skeletons. Angry at being woken from their eternal slumber, they rampage through the Old World, bringing death and havoc with them. They are the most skilled charioteers in the world.
Chaos - the most powerful force is Chaos. Consisting of the four Chaos Gods - Khorne the Blood God, Tzeentch the Changer of Ways, Nurgle the God of Disease and Slaanesh the God of Pleasure, they seek to corrupt humanity constantly. To do this they send magical Daemons and inhuman Beastmen to cause terror in the Empire, as well as forcing humans to fight for them. If it were not for the fact that their Daemons are confined to the Chaos Wastes, they would destroy the entire world.
Chaos Dwarfs - Dwarfs that have been corrupted by Chaos, they have lapsed into evil ways. Using strange and exotic weapons, and terrifying monsters the likes of which have never been seen before, they have all the best qualities of Dwarfs - strength, skill and stubbornness, combined with an evil hatred.
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- Kislevite Cavalry