The ULTIMATE faction review | Warhammer the Old World | Square Based Show

Rob and Val are back in action, and today we are breaking down the Pros and Cons of EVERY single army in the game! Looking for the best army for starting Warhammer: The Old World, or wondering how your favorite Core and Legacy factions stack up? Whether you're deciding between shiny new plastics for Grand Cathay or throwing down with Renegade armies like Skaven and Vampire Counts, this is the ultimate tabletop wargaming faction guide for you.

If you are looking to start a brand new army in 2026, trying to figure out which faction fits your tabletop playstyle, or you just want to listen to Val ruthlessly dunk on the Empire and Dwarfs for three hours, this is the episode for you.

We are weighing all Core and Legacy (Renegade) factions looking at:

The Models & Hobby Threshold: How hard is it to actually get this army painted and on the tabletop? Are the sculpts elite, or are you going to be painting a hundred tired, shoeless state troops?

Phase Effectiveness: Does the army actually play the game across the Movement, Magic, Shooting, and Combat phases, or are you just skipping half your turn?

Stability & Psychology: How well does the army handle panic and terror?

The "Hero Hammer" Dependency: Can your faction function without a Lord on a Dragon hard-carrying your entire list?

Core Tax & Armies of Infamy: Are you forced into bringing bad units, and do you actually have fun, thematic lists to build around?

CHAPTERS 0:00 - Intro & Val's Return 3:25 - Warriors of Chaos 30:54 - Lizardmen 52:40 - Grand Cathay 1:08:01 - Ogre Kingdoms 1:21:28 - Empire of Man 1:40:57 - Wood Elf Realms 1:54:34 - Dwarfen Mountain Holds 2:11:30 - Orc & Goblin Tribes 2:30:08 - Tomb Kings of Khemri 2:44:00 - Dark Elves 2:51:21 - Chaos Dwarfs 3:00:36 - High Elf Realms 3:10:16 - Daemons of Chaos 3:18:52 - Kingdom of Bretonnia 3:27:41 - Skaven 3:35:35 - Beastmen Brayherds 3:43:00 - Vampire Counts 3:50:18 - Final Thoughts & Outro

► *Join us at the Square Based Open Toronto October 24 and 25! * https://oldworldrankings.com/ca/tournaments/square-based-open-toronto-2026-sbc

MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO:

► *Links to all current Renegade Drafts* https://docs.google.com/document/d/16kAE-p_CWbsH0XatDPuRao6TngSw-KSweUnJa81kOXE/edit?usp=sharing

► *Rob's Old World EVENTS in Nottingham!* https://tsnarena.com/events/category/the-old-world/

► *Check out Rob's Event Recaps here!* https://thehonestwargamer.com/

► Support us on *PATREON* and join us on Discord: https://www.patreon.com/Squarebased

*OLD WORLD RESOURCES*

► *Square Based Comp AND Tournament Packs* https://thehonestwargamer.com/warhammer-the-old-world/square-based-comp/

► *The Square Based FAQ:* https://www.squarebased.com/faqs

► *The Renegade Legacy Pack:* https://www.squarebased.com/

► *Our 500pt Foray Pack:* https://thehonestwargamer.com/warhammer-the-old-world-500-point-foray/

► *Old World Army Builder:* https://old-world-builder.com/

► *Old World Rules Wiki:* https://tow.whfb.app/

► *Old World Rankings (Past and Upcoming Old World Events:* https://oldworldrankings.com/ *MERCH* https://thehonestwargamer.com/product-category/square-based/

Youtube Music Playlist for Audio Only: https://tinyurl.com/SB-YouTube-Music-Playlist

Podcast on all other Platforms: https://squarebasedpodcast.podbean.com/

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