Warhammer: The Island of Blood

Island of Blood is intended to be an introductory set for the Warhammer fantasy wargame, a deep and well-developed line of collectible miniature soldiers. I purchased Island of Blood as a way to get back into Warhammer after several decades away from the hobby, so I had some familiarity with the game ahead oftime, but needed a good way to return to the hobby. This set is a fantastic purchase in terms of providing an economical entry into the game, delivering over 70 miniatures from two well-developed, competitive armies -the elite, noble High Elves and the treacherous, swarming Skaven rat-men. There are some excellent models in the set: the High Elf prince on a griffon is striking, the High Elf mage will stand out in any army, and the Skaven are an impressive horde of verminous evil. Everything in the box is useful as the basis of a larger Warhammer army as well, making this set an excellent starting point for building a larger army of either force.

The minature rulebook alone is another great feature. Small and light on fluff, it's easy to carry around and use, unlike the beautiful, immense, and expensive core rulebook. The templates, dice, and rangefinder are also a handy set of additions.

The downside of this set is that in some significant ways, it's incomplete. Painting kits have to be purchased separately, but aren't strictly necessary to play the game. However, what I found a significant gap, dropping this to four stars, is the lack of complete statistics for the units in the box. The back of the rulebook contains a table of the base stats of all the units available in the Warhammer line at the time the set was published, but it includes no detailed information on any units' special rules or abilities. After the rulebook discussed the possible special rules at great length, I would have been much happier to know what my Rat Ogres or Poisoned Wind Mortar did in the game. Within a week, I returned to the nearest game store to pick up the High Elf and Skaven Army books so I could actually play with the full rules for each of the models in the set. If Games Workshop publishes another set of this sort, my hope is that they'll provide a full set of statistics for all the units so they can be played as intended.

EDIT: By visiting the manufacturer's web site, I found "The Island of Blood: Reference Sheet," which contains a simplified version of the unit-specific rules for the units in this set. It's a decent fix for my main problem with this set, if still not complete.

Long ago, our plastic for-fathers died for causes they believed in.

Now, we honor their plasticity and sacrifices by re-telling their struggles and replaying the epic battle of effeminate elf versus mangy rat-man.

Lo, unto us, the gaming world, did two armies come in one box. Heed the call of a slim and manageable Battle Rule Book that does not throw your back out carrying around. Behold; 'newb' sticks!

Now, gather around, spill miniature blood, reap the honor of victory and cast thyne opponent into the pit of shame with easily the best value in the Warhammer world.

The isle of blood.

"To crush your enemies, see them flee 2d6 before you and to hear the lamentation of ze wimmen"

Buy Warhammer: The Island of Blood Now

This kit contains what would normally cost over $150. There just isn't any greater value for those wishing to get started with Warhammer Fantasy.

Read Best Reviews of Warhammer: The Island of Blood Here

The starter kit is a terrific starting place for anyone getting into the Warhammer hobby or wanting to start a High Elf or Skaven army. The models included are great minis, and you get a lot more bang for your buck with these than many of GW's other sets. This generation of starter kits has impressive quality and variety in the miniatures, unlike previous sets, and may include more models as well.

Want Warhammer: The Island of Blood Discount?

Totally worth it, comes with plenty of very well done figures. Only problem is the armies are not technically legal armies, so in a real game you'll have to choose between some pieces. And the High Elves are a much greater force by point cost, at minimum it's almost double.

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