The latest wave of releases for Warhammer: The Old World brings a solid mix of nostalgia and novelty, with two returning powerhouses—the Beastmen Brayherds and the Wood Elf Realms—joined by a completely new faction, Grand Cathay. Whether you're diving back into your classic collection or looking for something fresh, there's a lot to unpack.

Beastmen Brayherds: Chaos Unleashed

Beastmen return in full force, with a massive Battalion box packed with 61 miniatures. It's a solid horde-style army, featuring 30 Ungors, 30 Gors, and a towering Cygor or Ghorgon. Combined with new transfer sheets and a dedicated Arcane Journal, it’s a very complete starting point for building out your Brayherd.

The Arcane Journal: Beastmen Brayherds includes background, special characters, and rules for two Armies of Infamy: Wild Herds (leaning into primal savagery) and Minotaur Blood Herds (focused on brute force). It also adds a new spell lore—Primal Magic—and a solid selection of magic items.

Returning models span across plastic, resin, and metal, with the Forge World resin updates being particularly welcome. Classic kits like the Jabberslythe and Doombull have been given a second life in much better material than Finecast. And if you’re into old-school metal, there’s a good haul—Centigors, Razorgor Chariots, Wargors, and more.

Verdict: A strong re-release with thoughtful support. If you like overwhelming armies of chaos monstrosities and versatile build options, this wave gives you everything you need.

Wood Elf Realms: Precision and Grace

The Wood Elf Realms Battalion includes 62 miniatures, and it’s a flexible kit right out of the box. The three main units—Glade Guard, Wild Rangers, and Wild Riders—each have alternate builds (Deepwood Scouts, Eternal Guard, Sisters of the Thorn), which makes the value proposition hard to beat. Add in two transfer sheets and you’ve got a great foundation.

Their Arcane Journal provides full army rules, background, and Armies of Infamy for both Orion and Araloth, plus Wood Elf Kindreds—unique character upgrades that add thematic and mechanical depth. It also includes the Lore of the Wilds, new magic items, and an overall solid rules package.

The return of plastic kits like Araloth, Eternal Guard, and Wild Riders covers the core of the army, while longtime collectors will appreciate the reissued metal miniatures—Orion, Nobles on various mounts, Waystalkers, Treemen, and the ever-flashy Wardancers.

A fun bonus is the long-lost 1987 Beast Pack—four elves and their forest beasts—returning as a deep cut for collectors.

Verdict: Excellent modularity in the new box and a well-rounded rules update. Ideal for players who enjoy movement-heavy play and precision shooting with a splash of fantasy flair.

Grand Cathay: The Newcomer

Cathay finally joins the ranks of the Old World in its first official tabletop release. Their Battalion box comes with 50 miniatures: 30 Jade Warriors, 10 Jade Lancers, and 2 artillery kits that can be built as either a Grand Cannon or Fire Rain Rocket Battery. It’s a very balanced box with a mix of frontline troops, cavalry, and firepower.

The accompanying Arcane Journal fleshes out the lore and rules for this dragon-ruled empire, with access to the dual Lores of Yin and Yang, new magic items, and detailed faction mechanics. The overall theme is one of balance—something that’s echoed in their mechanics and model choices.

The additional units are a real highlight:

• The Shugengan Lord on Great Spirit Longma is a gorgeous centerpiece model.

• Gate Masters provide elite leadership options.

• The Sky Lantern offers a floating support platform with sniping and artillery spotting capabilities.
  
  

• The Cathayan Sentinel stands out as a towering construct unit reminiscent of terracotta guardians.
  
  

• And of course, there's Miao Ying, the Storm Dragon herself—playable in both human and dragon forms.

Verdict: An impressive debut for a long-requested faction. Visually distinct and mechanically unique, Grand Cathay brings a lot of new flavor to the Old World with a strong launch lineup.

Final Thoughts

This release wave is packed. Beastmen and Wood Elves get much-needed updates and expanded rules support, while Grand Cathay arrives with a well-thought-out army that doesn’t feel like an afterthought. Between new battalion boxes, Arcane Journals, returning characters, and monster kits, there’s something here for every kind of Old World player—whether you want to trample through the forests, defend the sacred groves, or strike in harmony under dragon banners.

Let the war for the Old World continue.

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