Age of Sigmar: The Return of the High Elf Bolt Thrower & Swordmasters
Two of the most iconic units from the Old World are being reborn in the Age of Sigmar. The Lumineth Realm-lords are getting Swordmasters and a Bolt Thrower!
Long time fans of Warhammer certainly got a shot of nostalgia from Games Workshop’s preview this past weekend. During the preview, Games Workshop showed off some of the new and upcoming Lumineth models. They are pretty amazing.
Of all those amazing models, two units stood out as a direct call back to the world that was: The Starshard Ballista and the Bladelords.
The Starshard Ballista
The Vanari Starshard Ballista can trace its roots directly back to the Bolt Thrower of old. It was a classic weapon and pretty iconic. Many a High Elf army brought their Eagle’s Claw Repeater Bolt Thrower to the tabletop. It was a potent warmachine and a popular option for its ability to slay multiple models in a single volley.
However, it wasn’t just the High Elves who were a fan of the Bolt Thrower, the Dark Elves had their own version too:
It’s certainly not an accident that the Starshard Ballista borrows elements from both of these models. It has the quarrel of bolts from the High Elves but shares the more upright style of the Dark Elf version. It’s an interesting mix and it’s a great call back to both iconic weapons.
The Vanari Bladelords
The Vanari Bladelords are another unit that has a direct link back to the Old World. These models are basically the return of the Swordmasters of Hoeth – another iconic High Elf unit from the Old World.
The similarities are pretty clear. Their massive rune-etched swords, bits of scale mail, and fancy helms are just the surface level resemblances. We’ll have to wait to see what else they share with their Old World kin, but I would not be surprised if this ends up being a hard-hitting unit for the Lumineth Realm-lords. These Blademasters also have their own unique twist as well with one of them wielding two blades. On top of that, they’ve swapped out the robes for pants and they seem a bit more nimble now.
With the addition of both of these units (as well as all the others currently out and more on the way) any doubt that the Lumineth are the High Elves reborn should be put to rest. Teclis is their leader and the last bit of the Old World we’re waiting to see reborn from the High Elves is really just his brother Tyrion. It’s as clear as the Aether Quartz the Lumineth Realm-lords are the High Elves 2.0 for Age of Sigmar.
Swordmasters, Ballista, Spearmen, Horse-cav and Teclis? What more evidence do you need? Oh, right – Tyrion.
Really it’s just the White Lions missing at this point, right? And maybe the Dragon Princes (but they have horse-cav and other-cav on the way)? In anycase, the Lumineth are basically getting a second full wave and the army is really shaping up into a fantastic (and classic fantasy) range.
I wonder how the Idoneth Deepkin feel about this…
