Unboxing: Shadows Over Hammerhal
Adventure awaits! Come take a look inside the new Warhammer Quest: Shadows over Hammerhal from Games Workshop!
I hope you’re ready for a classic dungeon delve style campaign because that’s exactly what Hammerhal is all about:
If you were a fan of Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower’s mechanics but felt like you wanted a bit more “Freeform” with your adventuring then Shadows over Hammerhal is the game for you. To me, it’s a throwback to HeroQuest in all the right ways. What do I mean? Well this game takes place in the catacombs under the Ciderfall District in the city of Hammerhal. It’s all about 4 heroes heading into the depths to stop a Chaos Sorcerer Lord’s plot from transpiring. It sounds very linear – go down the stairs, kill the bad guys and go to the next floor – only there is more to it than that.
Sometimes the heroes might need to return to the surface to re-equip and re-arm. There is an entire “visiting Ciderfall” section in the Game Master book that talks about the side adventures you can have in town. However, if the heroes leave there is a chance that the forces of Chaos might lay a trap for them as they make their way down. If they are re-entering a previously cleared section there is a chance they could be ambushed! But there are portals along the way that will allow them to bypass parts of the dungeons so all your progress is not lost along the way.
A lot of folks were wondering about the mish-mash of Chaos “Baddies” for the heroes to fight, but the game does have an explanation. The Chaos Sorcerer Lord Redomir is a devout follower of the missing Chaos God Slaanesh. Using his powers of persuasion he has enlisted the help of the followers of the 3 other Gods by promising different things to each faction. To the followers of Tzeentch, he promised to help sow chaos and confusion. To Nurgle, he swore that bringing down this party of the city would lead to the fall of the other 1/2 of the city – which leads to the Green Realm of Life (and Papa Nurgle wants a piece of that action). And to the followers of Khorne – Battle and Blood…hey, that was probably the easy sell.
Lord Redomir is hoping that if he can cause a big enough “scene” that he will rouse the eye of Slaanesh and after a vision he’s had, the Chaos Sorcerer is convinced this is the place for him to attempt his dark ritual. Unfortunately for him, the heroes of the realm have caught on and are out to foil his plot.
Overall, I’m really looking forward to playing this game with some friends. I’m fortunate in that my play-group enjoys these types of games – the RPG-lite Dungeon Crawlers like Star Wars: Imperial Assault or Dungeon Saga. We got a kick out of Silver Tower as well! For me, this is also a good excuse to work on some of my Stormcast models because all of the heroes and models from Silver Tower are cross-compatible. The GM book has rules for most of the minions from Silver Tower as well (Tzaangors and such). Thematically, this story is a bit more “Order vs Chaos” so you might want to keep that in mind when making your hero selection. But if you have the Hero Cards you can totally run whoever you want in your games. It’s coming this weekend – Are you ready for adventure?
Warhammer Quest: Shadows over Hammerhal $150
Hammerhal. Built in the glorious image of Azyrheim, the seat of the God-King Sigmar’s power. Within its walls can be found danger and beauty, faith and intrigue, poverty and fortune. From the gleaming crystal spires of Goldenpath to the mist-shrouded vineways of Ghyra-un-Tyr, there is seemingly no end to its marvels. Yet most who witness this splendour know little of the danger and menace that fill the outer districts of the city, and that which lurks below…
A band of heroes has been brought together by circumstance, and are bound to hunt down and nullify a sinister Chaos plot in the dungeons and catacombs below Hammerhal. Lord-Castellant Arvios Sunhelm, his Gryph-hound Archimaine and Cogsmith Golnir Coalbeard are joined by Loremaster Alnaryn and Fleetmaster Vizrin Kyre, as they quest to uncover the Chaos Sorcerer Lord Redomir and put a halt to the vile corruption of the First City of Order.
AdvertisementWarhammer Quest Shadows Over Hammerhal is a boxed game for 2-5 players, set in – and below – the splendid city of Order, Hammerhal. Up to 4 players can quest in the catacombs and dungeons below the city, while another acts as gamemaster, setting fiendish obstacles, controlling the antagonists and setting the story – it’s up to this player to take charge of revealing the secrets each dungeon has to offer.
After each adventure, the heroes can spend time in the Cinderfall district of the city, visiting shops, resting and taking part in the various shadowy delights Hammerhal has to offer! Your characters level up and increase their skills as you play, and Warhammer Quest Shadows Over Hammerhal is completely compatible with the Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower Hero Cards – any miniatures or rules you already own for that game can be used here.
Speaking of miniatures, Warhammer Quest Shadows Over Hammerhal includes an impressive 31:
– a Lord-Castellant;
– a Gryph-hound;
– a Cogsmith;
– a Black Ark Fleetmaster;
– a Loremaster;
– a Chaos Sorcerer Lord;
– 5 Putrid Blightkings;
– 10 Kairic Acolytes;
– 10 Bloodreavers.Subscribe to our newsletter!Get Tabletop, RPG & Pop Culture news delivered directly to your inbox.By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.As well as this, the box includes a 72-page guidebook, a 32-page adventure book for the gamemaster to use, 18 double-sided board sections, 55 cards, 12 dice and a variety of counters and markers for tracking your heroes as they gain experience and skills under the city of Hammerhal.
Are you brave enough to face the Shadows over Hammerhal?
