Let's Get Ready to Rumble: A Review

The bell is about to ring, and this week Games Workshop is putting two absolute heavyweights in the center of the arena.

Brawlers of Behemat headlines the September 12th pre-order wave, throwing a pair of Mega-Gargants into what is effectively the Mortal Realms' version of a heavyweight main event. No infantry screens. No subtle maneuvering. Just two skyscraper-sized monsters stepping into the ring to see which one is still standing when the dust settles.

Around that main event is one of the more substantial Sons of Behemat releases we have seen in some time, with new Gargants, a new Battletome, a limited Stomper Tribe army box, accessories, and an entirely new Spearhead build. Middle-earth also gets a trio of new Battlehost boxes aimed squarely at making it easier to start or expand an army.

Pre-orders go live during the After Dark at Midnight EST on 09/12.

The Main Event: Brawlers of Behemat

If there is one box that defines this release, it is Brawlers of Behemat.

Games Workshop has taken two Mega-Gargants, thrown in a dedicated set of streamlined rules, added a new ruined Embergard battlefield, and essentially built a standalone monster-fighting game around the idea of two enormous combatants beating the life out of each other.

It is ridiculous in exactly the right way.

There is something inherently appealing about stripping Age of Sigmar down to its most basic possible equation: big Gargant versus big Gargant.

Each Mega-Gargant can be assembled as a Warstomper, Gatebreaker, or Kraken-Eater, with rules included for all three builds. That immediately gives the set considerably more utility than a novelty side game, because these are still two complete Mega-Gargants that can go directly into an existing Sons of Behemat collection.

That makes Brawlers interesting from two completely different angles.

For someone who just wants a fast standalone game, this looks like a fun beer-and-pretzels style brawl that can be put on the table without dragging out an entire army.

For an existing Sons player, however, this is also simply a box containing two Mega-Gargants and terrain, which could make it one of the most practical purchases in the entire release depending on the final pricing.

And unlike some self-contained Warhammer boxes where the contents have limited use outside their intended game, almost everything here immediately translates back into the wider hobby.

This is also a while-stocks-last release, and we would expect it to be one of the more heavily chased items in the wave.

Ma Maegran, Chooser of the Mighty

After the main event comes arguably the most visually interesting new miniature in the range.

Ma Maegran, Chooser of the Mighty introduces a very different flavor to the Sons of Behemat. Rather than simply being another enormous brute carrying an even larger piece of wood, she is presented as a mystical Gargant witch accompanied by a pair of Ancient Ghyrochs.

That gives her considerably more personality than another straightforward combat monster.

Her role also appears to lean into empowering other Gargants, fitting her title as the Chooser of the Mighty and giving Sons players a support-oriented character within an army usually defined by enormous independent threats.

Visually, she is one of those models that immediately helps broaden what a faction can look like. The Sons have always had tremendous table presence, but Ma Maegran adds something stranger and more mystical to the army rather than simply making another variation of "large angry man."

Boss-Stompers and Rock-Hurlers

The other major miniature release comes in the form of the new Boss-stompers.

These represent a slightly more disciplined kind of Gargant, at least by Sons of Behemat standards. They are fighters that apparently care about actual technique rather than simply swinging the largest nearby object in approximately the correct direction.

More importantly, the kit has two builds.

The three models can instead be assembled as Rock-hurlers, providing ranged support by doing exactly what the name suggests: picking up enormous rocks and throwing them at people.

The Rock-hurlers also form the new Sons of Behemat Spearhead, making this an especially important kit for players interested in the smaller-format version of Age of Sigmar.

That may actually be one of the more interesting developments in this entire release.

Sons of Behemat have always been an unusual faction simply because of the scale and cost of the models involved. Giving them a dedicated Spearhead built around three Gargants creates a much cleaner entry point for someone who likes the army but does not necessarily want to immediately commit to multiple Mega-Gargants.

Stomper Tribe

If Brawlers is the spectacle box, Stomper Tribe is probably the more straightforward army-building release.

Inside you get a Warstomper Mega-Gargant and three Mancrusher Gargants, designed around the new Stomper Tribe Army of Renown.

The concept is wonderfully simple: one enormous Gargant leading around a pack of slightly less enormous Gargants who gain bonuses by following in his wake.

The Mega-Gargant can alternatively be built as a Gatebreaker or Kraken-Eater, while the Mancrushers include the familiar assortment of cosmetic options for making each model a little different.

For anyone wanting to start Sons of Behemat, this is likely going to be one of the first boxes worth looking at.

It gives you a proper Mega-Gargant centerpiece and three additional bodies immediately, rather than requiring you to assemble the army one colossal kit at a time.

Like Brawlers of Behemat, however, Stomper Tribe is only available while stocks last.

Destruction Battletome: Sons of Behemat

Naturally, all of these new models need somewhere to live rules-wise.

The new Destruction Battletome: Sons of Behemat brings the faction fully up to date with new battle traits, background material, artwork, Path to Glory content, the new Spearhead rules, and everything needed to run the army in the current edition.

There will once again be two versions.

The standard hardback will handle the needs of most players, while the Gamer's Edition packages the smaller-format book alongside 33 warscroll cards.

We have generally liked the Gamer's Edition format for players who actually carry their books to games. A physically smaller rulebook paired with the cards simply makes considerably more sense at the table than hauling around another full-sized hardcover.

As usual, the Gamer's Edition is only available while stocks last, so players specifically wanting that version should treat it as the limited option. Remember, we are now offering these Battletomes via Special Order now as well, so you can grab the Gamer's Edition at a discount!

Sons of Behemat Warscroll Cards and Dice

The accompanying accessory wave is fairly straightforward.

Separate Warscroll Cards will be available for players who prefer having unit rules physically on hand, alongside a set of 16 Sons of Behemat dice.

The dice are cast in a bone-colored plastic with dark red pips and replace the six with a suitably subtle symbol: a giant foot crushing something beneath it.

Exactly what you would expect.

Please Note: These will not be available at Wargame Portal during this pre-order window. 

Middle-earth Battlehosts

Away from all the earth-shaking Gargants, the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game gets three new Battlehost boxes.

These are aimed squarely at starting a new force or giving existing players an easy way to expand one, with downloadable rules allowing two Battlehosts to be played against one another without immediately needing additional rulebooks.

The three forces cover some very recognizable corners of Middle-earth.

Rohan is led by King Théoden.

Mirkwood brings Legolas and his woodland warriors.

 Dol Guldur puts Bolg in command of a considerably nastier force.

Battlehosts remain one of the smarter ways Games Workshop can approach Middle-earth. The game has an enormous miniature range and decades of releases behind it, which can make starting from zero intimidating. Giving players a clearly defined box, a recognizable hero, and downloadable rules removes quite a bit of that initial friction.

For established players they may simply be expansion bundles, but for somebody looking at Middle-earth for the first time, these boxes make considerably more sense.

That said, Wargame Portal will not be featuring these Middle-earth releases as part of our normal stocked release lineup. They will instead be available Reserve Only through pre-order as Special Order items.

If you want one of these Battlehosts through Wargame Portal, the pre-order window will be the time to reserve it. We do not currently plan to carry these as regular shelf inventory after release.

Our Take

This is ultimately a Sons of Behemat release through and through, and Games Workshop seems to have understood exactly what makes the faction appealing.

Everything is huge, excessive, and just a little bit stupid.

That is a compliment.

The standout is unquestionably Brawlers of Behemat. Turning two Mega-Gargants loose in a dedicated standalone fighting game is one of those ideas that almost sells itself, and the fact that both models remain fully usable in Age of Sigmar makes the box much easier to justify beyond the novelty of the game itself.

Behind it, Stomper Tribe looks like the practical army-builder, while the new Boss-stomper/Rock-hurler kit gives Sons players something the range badly benefits from: more variety among the smaller Gargants.

Ma Maegran rounds things out with a genuinely distinctive character model rather than simply another enormous bruiser.

It is not a release with much subtlety.

But when your army is made up of walking buildings, subtlety probably was not why you showed up in the first place.

Pre-orders for Brawlers of Behemat, the new Sons of Behemat range, and the Middle-earth Battlehosts go live during the After Dark at Midnight EST on September 12th.