Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin – The Nighthaunt Invade!
There’s a new threat coming to the battlefields of Realm of Ruin, so grab your finest Sigmarite, or you won’t stand a ghost of a chance.
Greetings, fellow Warriors of the Realms! Age of Sigmar is a fun and exciting wargame, but it isn’t just for tabletop warriors and master painters. The digital realm has just as many threats as the Realms of Magic, and Sigmar’s warriors can be found there, too. In the upcoming Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin game, heading to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on November 17th, players will take their faction’s finest warriors into battle with fierce foes in Ghur. Frontier Developments graciously gave us the chance to play some of the narrative missions, as well as get a sneak peek of the hidden third faction.
While I was grossly unsuccessful at the game (I’m admittedly terrible at strategy games), it was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Frontier has truly captured the feel of the tabletop game in digital form, a Herculean feat to be sure. Here’s a quick overview of the missions I got to play, the Nighthaunt faction, and the secondary Conquest mode.
Misson 2: Orruk-us in the Realms
My gameplay journey began with a push into the lands of Ghur against the savage Kruleboyz. An Orruk Swampcalla Shaman had empowered them to strike out against Sigmar’s forces, and it was my job to drive them back. Thankfully, I had help: Vanguard-Hunters that the Orruks had captured were held in cages that I could break along the way.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t quite up to the task. I discovered too late that the Swampcalla I had driven off wasn’t quite dead, and was summoning more and more Orruks to slow my progress. I learned a valuable lesson, though; always secure the Greenskin kill. Vanguard units were the kings of this mission, able to outrange the bulk of the Orruk forces and keep my frontline warriors and heroes in the fight. Just remember, don’t turtle and be aggressive. If you let them, the Orruks will overrun you, as they did me.
Mission 3: A Grave Challenge
Thankfully, my ignoble defeat wasn’t the end of my journey. With the help of the mighty Stormlords at Frontier, I was able to jump into Mission 3. The premise was simple enough: recover an artifact that my resident wizard could use to cleanse the land. However, something else had found the artifact first and twisted it to an altogether more sinister purpose.
I was beset immediately on all sides by legions of the Undead, led by a powerful Knight of Shrouds. Thankfully, I had some new friends of my own: Prosecutors. These angelic warriors were the stars of the show, able to cross the battlefield at high speed and deliver justice with their divine weapons. Before I knew it, I had secured the capture points, undone the chains of Nagash, and driven back the hordes of the Nighthaunt. It wasn’t without loss or difficulty, but the smooth gameplay of Realm of Ruin was surprisingly forgiving, especially for a player like myself.
Nighthaunt: How Do They Play?
My favorite part of my experience was how dynamic each of the factions felt, even though I was only at the helm of one. Each army has unique strengths and weaknesses, and the Nighthaunt are no exception. They can overwhelm you with a horde of deadly Chainrasps, or run you down with Hexwraiths and the dreaded Mournghul. A detail I especially liked was a secondary, regenerating health bar that had to be removed before you could actually hurt them. This brought to mind their Etheral save from the tabletop game and made them a surprisingly resilient foe to deal with.
If you like an army that hits the morale of your opponent rather than their health and potentially breaks their spirit before their body, the Nighthaunt is the faction for you. In the full release, they will have access to all manner of terrifying entities, including the ferryman of Death himself, Awlrach the Drowner.
Conquest Mode
In addition to the narrative story, players will have access to Conquest Mode, similar to Mighty Empires in the tabletop game. In this mode, players will face unique 1v1 skirmish challenges, gathering territory and securing strongholds before a final large battle. However, all is not as it seems; each battle will have unique challenges and bonuses that will help or hinder the player’s forces. Players will have to make hard decisions to send their troops into difficult situations. Is the risk worth the reward? Only you can make that call. At the end of the Conquest run, players will be given a score based on their performance, which they can share with other players.
Pre-Order Trailer
The trailer for Realms of Ruin shows off these amazing features, alongside the dynamic graphics for the game. Check it out below!
Realms of Ruin will be available on PC and next-gen consoles on November 17th. Preorder now!
