Warhammer Old World – Fall 2025 Update & Faction Guide
Warhammer Old World – What We Know So Far (Fall 2025 Update)
Warhammer: The Old World has matured into a vibrant rank‑and‑flank system with a clear identity: square bases, sweeping regiments, and richly supported factions that capture the drama of classic Warhammer Fantasy. Since launch, Games Workshop has delivered regular Arcane Journals, reboxed classics, and several waves of brand‑new models—including the headline addition of Grand Cathay—plus a Matched Play Guide and ongoing FAQ & Errata updates that keep rules and missions fresh. This Fall 2025 briefing rounds up the current state of play, the factions you can field, key rules updates, and practical tips for starting or expanding an army.
Quick Snapshot – Fall 2025
- Setting: The World of Legend, in the decades before the Great War Against Chaos—political strife, border wars, and rising Chaos incursions.
- Scale & bases: Ranked infantry and cavalry on square/rectangular bases (new base sizes supported across the range).
- Rules access: Core books Forces of Fantasy and Ravening Hordes define the game; each faction is deepened by Arcane Journals. Free PDFs exist for several “legacy” lists.
- Competitive play: The 2025 Matched Play Guide adds mission packs, objective scoring, and optional composition frameworks (Open War, Grand Melee, Combined Arms) to standardize events.
- New army in 2025: Grand Cathay joined the fight with multiple releases and narrative content led by the Storm Dragon, Miao Ying.
The Setting & How the Game Plays
Old World battles look like storybook warfare: serried ranks of infantry grind forward under banner and horn; knights and chariots deliver hammer blows; artillery and monsters force decisive gambits. Armies are built from multiple blocks that support one another—steadfast units pin the line while shock troops punch holes and fast elements counter‑threat flanks. Compared to skirmish systems, movement, charge arcs, and combat resolution from ranks and standards matter as much as raw kills.
Rules, Books & Updates (What to Download/Buy)
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Core army books:
- Forces of Fantasy – the “order/civilisation” compilation (Empire, Dwarfs, Bretonnia, High Elves, Wood Elves and more).
- Ravening Hordes – the “evil/destruction” compilation (Warriors of Chaos, Orc & Goblin Tribes, Beastmen, Tomb Kings and more).
- Arcane Journals: 48‑page supplements that add lore chapters, Armies of Infamy, characters, items, scenarios, and faction‑specific rules.
- Matched Play Guide (2025): Event play scaffolding: scenarios, objective scoring, and optional list‑building caps that rein in spam and extreme builds.
- FAQ & Errata (living): Regular balance and clarity updates to the core rules and factions.
Factions at a Glance
Core factions (the narrative’s main players) include: Empire of Man, Dwarfen Mountain Holds, Kingdom of Bretonnia, High Elf Realms, Wood Elf Realms, Orc & Goblin Tribes, Beastmen Brayherds, Warriors of Chaos, and Tomb Kings of Khemri.
Legacy factions have free army lists so classic collections can play: Dark Elves, Skaven, Vampire Counts, Daemons of Chaos, Ogre Kingdoms, Lizardmen, and (for Old World) Chaos Dwarfs in legacy form. These may not receive the same cadence of new plastic as core factions but remain fully game‑legal via the PDFs.
New for 2025: Grand Cathay arrives as a fully supported army with its own Arcane Journal(s), units, and characters—bringing dragons, sky lanterns, artillery, and yin/yang magic to rank‑and‑flank battles.
2024–2025 Release Highlights (Condensed Timeline)
- Launch wave (2024): Core rulebooks drop with Arcane Journals for Bretonnia and Tomb Kings. Early 2024 adds Orc & Goblin Tribes and Dwarfen Mountain Holds journals, with returning kits and battalions.
- Early 2025: Empire of Man receives a major wave (Arcane Journal, characters, and returning kits). High Elves follow with their Journal and coastal‑defense theme.
- Spring–Summer 2025: Wood Elves awaken with spirits and ambush tricks; Beastmen get Armies of Infamy and primal magic; Warriors of Chaos see continued Almanack coverage.
- Summer 2025: Grand Cathay hits with a first wave (battalion box, troops, artillery, Miao Ying); a second wave and a narrative Journal (Dawn of the Storm Dragon) deepen the range with an Army of Infamy and terrain/mission content.
Matched Play – What Changed in 2025 (Why It Matters)
The Matched Play Guide formalizes how events score games and adds mission variety to a system historically resolved via victory points alone. It also introduces optional army‑building frameworks—Open War, Grand Melee, and Combined Arms—that limit duplicates, cap extreme character investments, and pace wizard levels to keep games interactive. For casual tables, these are a clear, plug‑and‑play way to avoid outlier lists without homebrewing comp.
- Objectives & scenarios: Quarter control, strategic locations, and scenario‑specific scoring create positional play beyond raw kills.
- Wizard limits: Level caps by game size reduce magic skew and reward combined‑arms lists.
- Duplication limits: Simple caps keep spam in check while preserving each army’s identity.
Army Building in 2025 – Start Smart at 2,000 Points
While you can learn at 1,000–1,500 points, most events and clubs default to 2,000 points. Use that size to build a coherent core that works across missions:
- Anchor Block: A steadfast infantry unit with ranks, banner, and a modest character (BSB or captain). This pins the mid‑board and sets your battleline depth.
- Shock Element: Knights, monsters, chariots, or elite infantry to convert breaks once the anvil holds.
- Shooting/Artillery: One battery or a meaningful skirmish line to force approach decisions and punish exposed flanks.
- Mobile Unit: Light cavalry, scouts, flyers, or fast chariots to threaten objectives and peel screens.
- Magic Kit: One competent wizard and a scroll or two. Add levels as your meta dictates—don’t overinvest early.
Tip: If your faction’s Arcane Journal offers an Army of Infamy (e.g., Knightly Orders for Empire, Wood Elf ambush variants, Beastmen Minotaur herds, Cathayan Jade Fleet), check whether its constraints match your models and playstyle before fully committing—some are narrative‑leaning, others are highly competitive.
Grand Cathay – The 2025 Headliner
Why it’s big: Cathay is the first brand‑new, fully supported Old World army since launch, not a resurrection. On table, they blend elite infantry, sky lantern support, and artillery with yin/yang magic synergies. The Miao Ying release arc also adds narrative terrain rules (roads, rivers, ridges, chasms, building occupation) and an Army of Infamy focused on maritime operations—the Jade Fleet.
Practical upshot: Expect Cathay to sit mid‑to‑high tier depending on local comp—cohesion and combined buffs are their strength, so they reward practiced movement and timing rather than raw stat bricks.
Legacy Lists – Still Viable (and Free)
Legacy factions let veteran players bring classic collections back to the table with official lists. They don’t always receive new kits or Journal content, but they do gain the benefit of core rule and matched‑play updates, and they can absolutely win events in skilled hands. If you own a deep Vampire Counts, Skaven, or Ogre Kingdoms collection, you can start playing without waiting on a modern range refresh.
Hobby Corner – Basing, Rebasing & Display
- Square bases: Infantry commonly sit on 25 mm squares; cavalry and monsters use larger rectangles—ensure consistent unit footprints for ranked movement and combat resolution.
- Movement trays: Magnetize trays and base bottoms for fast turns and secure transport.
- Rebasing kits: If you’re migrating from older editions, grab contemporary base packs so unit footprints match current expectations.
- Readability: Old World rewards clean banners, bold edge highlights on rank leaders, and clear unit fillers—photographs and table readability both benefit.
What’s Likely Next (and What’s Confirmed)
Confirmed: More Arcane Journals and additional waves for existing factions are slated post‑summer, including further Tomb Kings attention. Speculative but reasonable: Continued support cycles for core factions and additional Cathay supplements; legacy factions remain in PDF support until/unless an official range refresh lands. As always, plans can shift—treat previews as indicative, not guaranteed.
Getting Started – A Simple First Purchase Path
- Pick your faction’s core book(s): Forces of Fantasy or Ravening Hordes as appropriate.
- Add your Arcane Journal: Even for casual games, it’s the richest, most up‑to‑date slice of faction flavor and list options.
- Buy in blocks: One steadfast infantry brick, one shock unit, one ranged element. Add a wizard and a support/skirmish unit.
- Practice scenarios: Play two or three Matched Play scenarios to internalize objective scoring. Adjust your list accordingly.
Image Suggestions
- Hero banner: A center‑table scrum: Empire state troops braced, knights poised, and a monster looming.
- Faction grid: Nine core factions plus Grand Cathay—one striking unit photo each.
- Rules palette: A flat‑lay of the rulebook, an Arcane Journal, cards, and a printed FAQ page.
FAQs – Warhammer Old World (tap + to expand)
Most events and clubs play at 2,000 points. Learn the rules at 1,000–1,500, then scale up for full mission play.
No—the army books let you play. But Journals add lore, Armies of Infamy, characters, and missions; they’re the best “second purchase.”
Yes. They have free PDF rules and are fully usable in games—just note they may not receive new plastics as frequently as core factions.
Standardized missions and scoring, plus optional composition frameworks to curb spam and extreme wizard builds. It makes pickup and event games easier to organize.
It’s both. Cathay plays a synergy‑driven, combined‑arms game with strong internal combos; the narrative Journal adds themed lists and terrain rules that many groups enjoy.
Strongly recommended—modern base sizes ensure smooth ranked movement and fair combat footprints. Base packs and movement trays make the swap painless.
More Arcane Journals and additional waves for existing armies are confirmed, with Tomb Kings singled out for near‑term attention. As ever, previews can shift.