Time flies when you're having fun and it's been almost 3 months since the new edition of Warhammer 40k has been released. That also means that another issue of White Dwarf is upon us! It's Warhammer 40k's 30th Anniversary and there's a special give away in this month's issue of White Dwarf as it comes in a special packaging with 2 giant-sized (well, technically larger than the AoS Giant) posters for display or collection. One of them is an extended version of the cover, featuring a revitalised image of the iconic last stand of a company of Crimson Fists by artist Igor Sid. To mark the occasion, this last stand is also the scenario for one of the two Battle Reports this month.
One of the very first things you'll notice flipping through the first few pages is a close up shot of the upcoming daemon primarch Mortarion in all its vile, putrid, splendor! From the order details, he will arrive on the shelves of our favourite FLGS alongside the Codex: Death Guard and the datacards on 16th September so set your dates all my foul pus-loving friends! Looking at the description, the 20 squidgy-centred dice sound like an interesting item to add to your collection as well. It seems that Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus will be following hot on the heels of the Death Guard with a 23rd September release.
The cover feature "There Is Only War" takes the reader along a journey of the humble beginnings of the Warhammer 40,000 hobby and its milestones along the way, including Rogue Trader, first sighting of the Hive Fleets of the Tyranids as well as when the first Sisters of Battle models were released (and way overdue for an update!). It also showcases a number of multi-page spreads showing thousands of models in battles of epic proportions which I'm sure would have taken the better part of a whole day to simply place on the table! It's a huge feature this month and will take awhile to admire in detail.
The first Battle Report for this month's issue of White Dwarf takes us through one of the battles fought on the world of Pyros during the most recent Indomitus Crusade. The second sees the last stand of a group of Crimson Fists alongside their Chapter Master, Pedro Kantor in the defence of Rynn's world against an Ork horde of epic proportions
As "A Tale of Four Warlords" starts its process of winding down, you get to see the results of six months of hard work and painting by the four participants of the series. Their centrepieces (a golden Roboute Guilliman being one of them), shine through as you can see the amount of work and effort put into them. I'm especially drawn to Dan Harden's Iron Warriors and their yellow and black chevrons.
"Allies and Allegiances" in the Gaming section talks about the latest edition of the General's Handbook for Warhammer Age of Sigmar and its new allegiance abilities and special rules for using allies. There's also "The General's Almanack" for AoS fans and this month's feature features Dan Harden talking about an army's personality and about creating stories and fun memories within games.
The Modelling and Painting segments of this month's White Dwarf give a few conversion ideas, tips & tricks and advice, including using the new Creeping Vines terrain kit in all sorts (both for AoS and 40k) basing ideas and for all levels of the hobby (whether you're a beginner or a veteran). There's also a showcase of various units done by GW's Army Painting team and how they went about selecting paint schemes as well as their simple conversions and choice of painting methods.
There's quite a bit to feast your eyes on in this month's White Dwarf but the lack of Tactica Imperialis and more useful reference materials (like last month's colour wheel) make the issue only stand out because of the celebration of 30 years of Warhammer 40k.
Verdict: 7/10