‘Warhammer The Old World’: Five Characters We Could See In The Game

Take a look at what epic characters we could get in Warhammer: The Old World. It’s not the ones you think.

After a long wait Warhammer the Old World will be coming out next year. The rules we’ve seen so far seem really good, and draw on the all the best of GW. At this point we have a decent idea of what the rules, at least in a larger sense, are going to look like. However, what the armies are going to look like and include remains a big mystery. One aspect in particular that remains a big question is what Epic characters we will see in the game. Let’s take a look at some options.

What Won’t Be In The Old World

Warhammer Fantasy Battles had a massive roster of named characters. Many of them were hugely popular with detailed backgrounds. However, almost none of them will be in the Old World. WFB had its current year set in or around 2522 IC. The bulk of characters from that game were alive or active around then.  However, The Old World is set quite a bit earlier in the timeline, around 2276 IC. That is about 250 years before WFB! This means that a lot, if not most, of the characters in classic WFB were not alive at the time of The Old World. Effectively any Orc, Goblin, Dwarf, Lizardman, Beastman, or Human would not have been born. Others who might have been alive, are not yet famous. Meanwhile, the bulk of the Vampire Counts are inactive or “dead(ish)” at this time.

The game is also going to be limited to nine main factions at the start. So even though pretty much all Deamons would have been active, we are unlikely to really see them in the early days of the game. Of the characters active in old WFB, pretty much only Elves and some supernatural beings will be around in The Old World. So let’s take a look at who we know of who might be showing up.

Tyrion/Teclis

Speaking of Elves, we’ve got a two-for-one with the twins High Elves Tyrion and Teclis. These two storied Elves have a long and rich history in both WFB and Age of Sigmar. Both were alive and active at the time The Old World is set. We don’t know a lot about what Tyrion was doing in this period, so it is possible he won’t show up. However, Teclis was not only already famous, but played a major role in the Great War Against Chaos, which is what the period of the Old World is leading up to. I think it’s super likely he is going to show up and be one of the main stars.

Magnus The Pious

Speaking of leaders and stars, the time when the game will be set finds the Empire without one. Or with too many. It’s not like the time of the Three Emperors, when the Empire is divided in a three-way civil war and weak. Eventfully a leader known as Magnus the Pious shows up and units the Empire, and the Old World, to fight and win the Great War Against Chaos before becoming Emperor. This means there is a decent chance that we will get Magnus as an epic Empire hero/leader. However, the Old World is set about 30 years before the Great War and the rise of Magnus, so it is unclear if he will show up. It’s possible we are a few years too early, or could get an early version of him.

The Green Knight

While most Bertonnians fall into the mortal human category, the Green Knight is an exception here. As he has been active throughout the entre history of Bretonnia, the mystical Knight would totally be around and acting like normal during the period of the Old World. Moreover, his status, and unique rules, are a big draw to the faction. Given that he has a model that is still pretty amazing, I’d be shocked not to see him show up.

Settra

While the Vampire Counts may be inactive during this period, the same is not true of all undead. Indeed we know that the Tomb Kings are one of the important factions and likely in the launch box. That being said, it would be very unlikely for us not to see their leader Settra The Imperishable show up. Settra was active during this period and over the years led a number of raids and attacks on the south of the Old World and Bretonnia. Based on how GW has been pushing the two factions, it seems likely that Bretonnia and Tomb Kings are going to be the two launch factions, and their rivalry will be front and center.

Orion

Last up, we’ve got Orion. He’s a bit of a cross between an Elf and a supernatural being. Wood Elves are one of the core starting factions and the immortal Orion was active in the proper time period. He’s a massive and impossible presence and has a decent model. However, players have been clamoring for a new and updated version of him, and some rumors say one is coming. I can’t say if he’s going to get a new model, but I would be pretty shocked to see him left out of the Wood Elf armies. Like the Green Knight, he’s something very different and a hallmark of the faction.

Let us know who else you think is going to show up in the Old World, down in the comments! 

Author: Abe Apfel

Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.