Designer’s NotesWe talk to Andy Hoareabout the contents of thenew Cities of Deathexpansion book.

Building the FutureDave Andrews provides aninsight into the design of thefantastic new Warhammer40,000 city ruins kits.

Urban WarriorsWe look at some awesomeconversions that reflect thedesperate nature of fighting inurban environments.

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C ities of Death is the first in a rangeof new expansions for our games,something you may have read about

in Standard Bearer a couple of months ago.With a load of fantastic plastic buildingsand a cool rulebook that allows you tostage desperate struggles for the cities ofthe far future, this is best time ever to be aWarhammer 40,000 player.

But while you are all having a blastblowing up buildings, booby trappingalleyways and generally using every newtrick in the book to grind your opponentsinto the brick dust, spare a thought for thegames developers and miniatures designersbehind Cities of Death. It is they, after all,who laboured hard to bring an entirelynew dimension of war-laden fun to your

41st Millennium. We spoke to Andy Hoare,author of the new book, about the game.

“We’ve been planning thesesupplements for some time, but the idea toredo Cityfight came from the decision tomake the plastic buildings and the fact thatwe know every single Warhammer 40,000gamer is going to want lots of them! Yousee, the rules serve perfectly well whenyou have one or two buildings, but we justknew people would want to fill up theirtable with a full city. That level of scenerydensity makes it a different kind of game,and that needs a supplement.”

It was this idea that was at the forefrontof the design process for the Cities ofDeath expansion book – make cityfightinggames possible!

Like Cityfight, but betterMake no mistake, Cities of Death is a verydifferent beast to the old Cityfight book.Unlike the older supplement, where awhole new rules system came into being,this time there has been no tinkering withthe core rules at all.

“We were in a good position this time.

We could avoid major changes to the rulesbecause of the scenery. One of these waswhere you didn’t place templates forweapons like flamers, but instead rolled adice to determine the number of hits on aunit. The reason for this,” Andy explains,“was that we did not know what kind ofscenery people would use, or how dense it

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Cities of Death is an 80-pageexpansion for the Warhammer40,000 game.

• Full cityfighting rules

• 24 unique Stratagems

• 11 new missions, bothstandard and special

• 30 pages of hobby ideas

• Detailed background onfamous urban battles ofthe future

IN THE BOOK

Cities of Death lets you take the fight to thecentres of power of the 41st Millennium, andprovides a new, urban environment full of freshchallenges.

“”Many of the models we are

releasing this year are veryuseful in Cities of Death!

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COVER SAVESUrban environments presentplenty of cover for infantry,something lightly armouredarmies like Imperial Guardand Eldar benefit from greatly.

These are religious buildings, havens of the Ecclesiarchy,and the heart of the Imperial Cult on a world.

The centres of government on Imperialworlds, these buildings exude power.

PLUNGING FIREOne stratagem your army can select isthat of plunging fire, which reducesenemy cover saves, and makes it moredifficult for vehicles to pass theirConcealed rolls.

would be. However, this time we canmake an assumption that 90% of all Citiesof Death games will be played using ourscenery, and we know what that looks like,so we don’t have to meddle with thingslike templates and squad coherency.

“So the rules are not actually rules.They are only guidelines on applying thecore rules of Warhammer 40,000 to thisamazing new environment. That’s it.”

If this sounds like there are nodifferences between Warhammer 40,000and Cities of Death, you couldn’t be morewrong. The nature of urban combat –desperate, close and bloody – isrepresented by stratagems. Each playerchooses up to three of these at thebeginning of the game. These vary, being

encompassed in various sub-categoriessuch as Dirty Tricks or Obstacles, but eachessentially gives you something, be it anability, deployment option or specialbuilding, that you can use in the game.

“It is a specific environment, andspecific environments bring various twists,plot hooks, and, literally, strategies. If youthink of urban combat, you think ofsnipers, of troops dashing across wreckedstreets into cover, of blowing up buildings.40K is a broad church, it covers a lot, but itcan’t cover that level of detail. The ideawith these expansions is that you canzoom right in to an area, and pull outsome of the things that characterise it. Butit’s still Warhammer 40,000 – it’s just avery specific type of Warhammer 40,000.”

A tale of two citiesAndy is very happy with the stratagems.They’ve proven to be a great way to addflavour to a games system without rewritingthe rules.

“The result is that Cities of Death workson two levels,” says Andy. “A beginner orsomeone who just wants a pick-up gamecan dip in and play. You can just turn upwith your regular 1500-point army. Youdon’t have to drop out your favourite unitsto include smoke-launching infantry or addother weirdness, and you don’t have toconvert your models or create a new army.Stratagems don’t cost any points at all –both players have to take them, but youdon’t lose any of your models whatsoeverby doing so.

But, on the other hand, you can go all-out and immerse yourself totally in Citiesof Death.

“You can use the stratagems to themeyour army; for example, my ImperialGuard regiment is themed entirely aroundthe Combat Engineers stratagem. Theyhave urban bases and look really grizzled.But they will still work in a game ofWarhammer 40,000. It is very importantthat we get this right with the expansions,that you can play them straight out of thebox, but you can also immerse yourself init totally.

“I think we’ve managed it with theCities of Death expansion,” continuesAndy, “and we can envisage lots of otherenvironments where we can use

>>> More on page 53Medusa V, the planet onwhich this year’s globalcampaign is set, has manyurban areas, from researchstations to hive cities. Whynot play some of your gamesfor the war in thesedangerous new environs?

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This brilliant new basing kit isavailable to buy for a limitedtime only. It contains all youneed to create realistic citybases for your models,including different grades ofslate, detailed resin pieces andeven razorwire!

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The arched details are a recurringtheme in gothic architecture.

This skull panel was one ofthose sculpted digitally.

Every panel of aSanctum Imperialisis sculpted withdevotional symbolsto the Emperor.

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MANUFACTORUM INTACT BUILDINGS

DREADNOUGHTSDreadnoughts and other Walkerscome into their own in Cities ofDeath. They move like infantryin the game, and thus suffer noneof the risks that can affect othervehicles – risks such as fallingthrough the floor and beingburied in rubble if they fail theirdifficult terrain test!

Not every structure in a war-torncity needs to be a ruin.

stratagems. We have ideas for future usesof them already…”

Some of these ideas are being cogitatedupon now, not that we can tell you aboutthem just yet, oh no.

Building the futureThe ruin kits, the impetus to create Cities ofDeath, were the brainchild of DaveAndrews, one of Games Workshop’sresident terrain-building geniuses.

“Making scenery is something that I dofor a living, but it’s also something I do as ahobby,” says Dave. “I have always enjoyedit, and I have always wanted someWarhammer 40,000 buildings. The ideacame from one of our computer games. Iwanted some reference on buildings I

could make for the tabletop game, andwhen I was looking at the digital models Inoticed they had constructed them out oftiles. I thought that that would be great onthe board too.”

Dave set to making a Warhammerprototype (look carefully and you will seethese in the forthcoming new Warhammerrulebook), working on the principle thathe’d get it wrong first time and then learnfrom it. That’s not to say he has less respectfor Warhammer buildings…

“Oh no! The reason I choseWarhammer was because when we havean idea for a potential model, you have tosell that idea to everyone, and I thought amedieval-style building is morerecognisable for what it is.”

After his cunning plan of makingbuildings was approved, Dave set to work.

“I wanted to create a kit that wouldmake both ruins and complete buildings, Iknow that ruins are easier to use in agame, but it never looks right whenabsolutely everything is wrecked. I thinkthe kits succeed as both, though you needa few sets to make an undamagedbuilding,” he says.

“Throughout, my major consideration

was gameability. I mean, I’ve made all thatkind of scenery where you have to take theroofs off, and then you’ve got to try and getyour hand inside – it gets fiddly quickly. SoI’ve designed the floors so that they’requite high – 3". The floors are also narrow;wide enough to accomodate a model on a40mm base, but not wide enough to get inthe way during play.”

And that’s one of the most importantthings about this expansion – the buildings

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VERSATILE KITSDave Andrews designed the building tiles sothat they could be used to create both intactand ruined buildings Here is an example ofan undamaged building made up of piecesfrom all three building sets.

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The biggest features ofthe Adeptus Mechanicusbuildings are themodelled on machineryand industrial details.

The ruined buildings come onfour different types of frame.There are three distinctarchitectural styles:Manufactorum, AdeptusAdministratum and SanctumImperialis. These can be mixedup as you please to create allmanner of intact or ruinousImperial buildings, from tinypower generators to enormousImperial palaces! The genericframe contains the floors anda variety of extras – includinglamps and buttresses – toembellish your buildings orpersonalise your city streets. The new resin barricades have been

designed to fit the building sets.

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The double-sided panels from the kits are allcompatible, allowing for a massive variety ofdifferent buildings.“ ”

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Adeptus Mechanicus facilities can be foundall over the galaxy.

The sloping panels at therear were created throughclever use of the genericframe’s buttresses

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fit the rules and the rules fit the buildings,both have been designed to complementeach other.

41st Millennium decorOnce Dave had worked out the mechanicsbehind the buildings’ modular contruction,the other challenge was collating materialwhich would help the concept artistsdecide on a look for the buildings. “You’dimagine that we’d been doing Warhammer40,000 so long that we’d know whatbuildings in the 41st Millennium lookedlike. But no,” he laughs, “I went throughevery publication I could find that we’dprinted making copies of urbanenvironments. Most tended to be buildingsin the distance with explosions on them –

not very useful! All our other visualreference tended to be of vast skyscrapersand palaces, which look cool, but whicharen’t very practical. So we wanted tocapture that grandeur and scale in the kitswhile making them gameable. We did notwant something that looked like an officeblock. And though Stalingrad wassomething that was bandied about as beingvery similar to what we were trying to dowith Cities of Death, it certainly should notlook like World War II.”

Dave’s original shapes informed muchof the basic design – the windows stayedthe same shape right the way throughdevelopment, for example, but it was

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BLOOD RAVENS SCOUTSBy Darren Latham

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IMPERIAL GUARDBy Richard Taylor

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Cities of Death does not require you to convert models; youcan just play with your standard army. However, it’s plentyof fun if you do!

BLOOD RAVENS SCOUTSDarren has converted the plasticSpace Marine Scouts to reflect theirurban environment. Equipment fromthe Heavy Weapon Cadian set is usedto show that these Scouts are on aprolonged cityfight campaign. Nightvision goggles are essential, as are theconverted re-breathers to protectagainst fumes and gas attacks.

FLAYED ONESThese models have been converted torepresent the Sewer Rats stratagem. Byusing copper piping, aluminium meshand spare plastic components, Petehas created a real sense of menace inthe shadows of the city.

ORK KOMMANDOVeteran Warboss Adrian Wood madethis model as a precursor to a muchlarger city-themed Mob. The ‘bang-stick’ is used to poke throughwindows and hatches to blow up theenemy. The fence-cutters-cum-combatweapon was made from brass rod andbitz taken from plastic Ork sprues.

IMPERIAL GUARDThese scenic bases were created usingpieces of the old Warhammer 40,000Gothic Ruins kit. The camouflagescheme is painted all over the models,including their guns and equipment,so that they really blend into theirenvironment.

SIEGE UPGRADEThe Siege Shells stratagem allowsordnance weapons to demolishbuildings and, to represent this, MarkJones decided to scratch-build hisown demolisher cannon! This weaponwas built from a sawn-off length ofcopper piping, usually used forplumbing jobs, with some plastictubing as a mount. The reinforcedarmour around the weapon was madefrom plastic card and a selection ofcomponents from Mark’s extensivebits box.

URBAN WARRIORS

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FLAYED ONESBy Pete Foley

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VINDICATORBy Mark Jones

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The generic frameis festooned withdetails. It even hasthis lamp post onit, which lets youmodel an entirecity, right down tothe street details!

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concept artist Roberto Cirrillo who addedin the majority of the detail. “Roberto drewintact buildings first, basically to get hishead around how they worked asstructures.” He then ‘smashed’ them up inhis mind and drew ruins. Now that’s art!“After that he drew individual panels. Hedid loads, actually. Far more than we couldever use, so it became a matter of pickingthe bits to make three individual styles thatyou would also be able to mix and match.I believe the overarching style is Englishperpendicular gothic,” he pauses, “That’s aJohn Blanche phrase.”

The concepts were then taken up bysculptor Mike Anderson and turned intoactual-sized models. “It was his first job, I

think he started it the week he arrived here,so that’s pretty impressive,” says Dave.Colin Grayson and Tim Adcock thenconverted it onto computer using our shinynew technology. The buildings were thensupposed to be turned into moulds, butactually some of the sculpting was done onthe machine, like the skull-filled panelfrom the Adeptus Ministratum building.

All this means that you do not have tolabour long hours to create a city.

“The problem with Cityfight,” saysDave, “was that it required you to make anentire city. It’s not beyond the skills of mostgamers, but it takes forever and then thereare problems with storage, unless you arein a club or something. The new buildingsmean that this is no longer the case.”

BLACK LEGIONBy Christian Byrne

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SNIPER TEAMBy Neil Green

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The Warhammer 40,000Accessories set is perfect forcreating objectives and scatterpieces for Cities of Death

SISTERS OF BATTLEKirsten’s Battle Sisters are mounted onsimple scenic bases, which all featurerubble. Additionally, she’s kitted themout with frag grenades (handy whenassaulting cover), and various scrapsof equipment such as ropes, sightsand scanners. Finally, the sheernumber of flamers and meltaguns isvery useful in a cityfight!

CARNIFEXChad’s Carnifex has the Wreckerstratagem, allowing it to ploughthrough ruins, leaving destruction inits wake. Metal components from theclassic Hive Tyrant and Old One Eyemake this model look well-armoured.

SNIPER TEAMNeil painted all of the Tau with theGreen colour scheme, and so paintedthis Sniper Drone team to match.Here, he’s created a mini-diorama,replacing the Drone’s flying stand withwire, and mounting both models on alarge base with an urban theme, madefrom leftover ruins sprues.

STORM TROOPERSInspired by modern-day Navy Seals,Richard has converted these models tolook as though they are surfacing froma canal into the urban warzone.Oxygen tanks, black armour and infra-vision sights are very evocative of anight-fighting stealth mission.

DREADNOUGHTMark converted this Dreadnought tohave the Wrecker strategem. Thistime, the stratagem is represented bytwo short-range missiles, made fromCities of Death lamp posts! Note theheavy flamer – lethal in closely-confined city ruins.

BLACK LEGIONChristian already has a massive BlackLegion army, but he got so excited byCities of Death and the new ruins kitsthat he’s started to re-base his entireforce using the slate and resin partsfrom the Urban Basing kit. Mad!

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SISTERS OF BATTLEBy Kirsten Williams

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STORM TROOPERSBy Richard Taylor

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DREADNOUGHTBy Mark Jones & Chad Mierzwa