Witches, warzones, and whispers from Gen Con
It’s been a busy week in the Iron Kingdoms, and we’ve got some reports of mysterious sightings on the Gen Con frontlines.
Today’s TL;DR
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New lore alert – Lore on Olesea Reznikova's humble origin is now live in the Warmachine app
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Build support incoming – A full guide is coming this week to walk you through how to build Exulon Nostilla & The Aberration
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Gen Con round-up incoming – This week we’ll be rounding up Steamforged @ Gen Con 2025
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Pre-orders live – The Old Umbrey Auxiliary Expansion is now up for pre-order
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Fortify your defenses! – The Cryx and Warmachine Defenses set hit the field August 7
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Phantasm update – Replacement arms incoming
A step-by-step guide to making your monster
Good news, everyone! There’s a step-by-step build guide available today for the monstrous Cephalyx merc duo Exulon Nostilla & The Aberration.
You’ll find the build guide here. This handy walkthrough will take you step-by-step through the build process and get your Mercs one step close to being battlefield menaces.
From the floor at Gen Con
We’ve just wrapped a fantastic weekend at Gen Con — thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth!
We snuck in a few surprises, including the first-ever look at some brand-new forces from an upcoming set, plus a preview of the Old Umbrey Auxiliary Expansion.
We’ll be posting a full Gen Con round-up very soon, so keep an eye on the blog for all the details.
Olesea Reznikova: Thorns and vengeance
A druid with a thorny past — and even sharper roots.
This week, Olesea Reznikova, Mistress of Thorns, of Khador Old Umbrey steps into the spotlight with a brand-new Heroes & Villains lore entry.
Once a quiet Menite girl raised in a strict commune, now a vengeful force who’s turned the wilds of Umbrey into her personal arsenal.
Planning to pick up the newly-revealed Old Umbrey Auxiliary Expansion? Then it’s about time you got to know the history behind the mystery.
"A dark witch steps forth from the woods, carrying herself with dignity and grace despite her gloomy trappings. Burgeoning thorny growth gracefully twists and glides through the air in synchronization with each of her movements like an extension of her body. This woman began her life as a devoted follower of Menoth, but she carried inside herself a latent magical gift imparted to her by the Devourer, giving her with a near unprecedented bond with the land.
The witch might use these gifts to aid crops and help Umbrey flourish, but that is not her predilection. Driven by rage, she seeks to tear down any foe or intruder that seeks to imposes its will upon others. She uses her mastery over root and stem to fertilize the lands of Khador with the corpses of their enemies, especially those who bear the iconography of civilized society.
A Proper Upbringing
Although worship of the Old Faith is most common across Umbrey, small communities that instead adhere to the teachings of Menoth are not unknown. Pyotr and Jana Reznikova and their daughter, Eliyah, belonged to one such community. Established when Pyotr and Jana were younger and served as missionaries, the community’s culture was typically strict and unforgiving of those who did not accept Menoth’s True Law. They saw weakness and stagnation in the Old Faith, and the poorly kept secret of Umbrean Devourer worship filled their hearts with revulsion.
Jana was a dutiful and godly wife, who retired from missionary duties to raise Eliyah and tend the land. She embraced her role as servant to something greater than herself and obediently embodied the principle of being seen and not heard.
Possessed of strong and passionate belief in his faith, Pyotr had not given up his missionary work. He traveled to neighboring villages to spread Menoth’s teachings, confessions of witnessed miracles, and promises of a unified future forged in the light of the Creator’s flames. His efforts met with little success. While some were drawn in by the spirit and fervor, most were reluctant to break from their long-established traditions.
It was a stubbornness that produced great fits of rage in Pyotr. Despite his congenial demeanor outside the home, behind closed doors he was prone to violent outbursts, which Jana stoically endured as one of her duties. When comforting Eliyah, she taught her daughter that suffering was virtuous, and that no pain was unbearable for Menoth’s flock.”
Read the full tale in Heroes & Villains: Olesea Reznikova, live now in the Warmachine app for subscribers.
Not a subscriber yet? Now’s the perfect time to jump in.
With an annual app subscription, you’ll unlock:
• Unlimited army list building to plan and refine your forces
• Access to the full Heroes & Villains archive and a growing vault of Warmachine lore
• And a free Exulon Nostilla & The Aberration model shipped to your door
This highly detailed HIPS plastic set introduces the Aberration, our first super-heavy monstrosity in Warmachine, loaded with a brutal arsenal of weapons and devastating abilities..
As a flexible Mercenary duo, they’re ready to bolster your forces with power, presence, and plenty of punch.
Shadows stir in the wilds of Umbrey
The Old Umbrey Auxiliary Expansion tore its way into pre-order on Tuesday this week.
Leaders familiar with the children of Agha and the warlocks that walk the old ways will find a lot to love here. Old Umbrey’s latest expansion features spellbound ursine prowess, and Umbrean heroes who gave up comfort and civilisation to protect their homeland with tooth and claw.
The Auxiliary Expansion is chock full of buckshot, bears & botanical magic. Command your very own Ursine force, now up for pre-order.
This is Khador’s primal might — unfettered by court politics and backed by the wild magics of the Devourer Wurm. If you haven’t explored this corner of Khador yet, step into Old Umbrey here.
Fortify your front line: defenses arrive August 7
Looking to reshape the battlefield? Two new terrain sets land this week that’ll help you do exactly that — the Warmachine Defenses Set and the Cryx Defenses Set release on August 7.
Both kits are ideal for players looking to bring more tactical depth to their games using the Defences Command Card, or simply enhance narrative and scenario play with immersive obstacles like spike traps, powder kegs, and barricades.
The Warmachine Defenses Set offers versatile pieces you can drop into almost any army, while the Cryx Defenses Set adds a bit more… necrotic flair.
You’ll find them both in the Steamforged store from August 7 — a great way to reinforce your board before the next skirmish hits.
An eldritch error
We've identified a slightly mis-scaled part in the Phantasm (Wave 1) kits. Specifically, one of the magnetisable arm options came out around 25% too small.
We’ve already flagged all affected orders and will be sending out 2x correctly scaled versions of the part (one for each arm). You don’t need to do anything. If your order is affected, you’ll automatically get the replacements.
What happens now?
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If you received a Wave 1 Phantasm, you’ll automatically get 2x replacement arm parts
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Current on-order and future Phantasm kits will include the corrected part as standard
Thanks for your patience while we get this fixed. The Dusk Phantasm Colossal is an ambitious model, and we want everyone to get the colossal experience they deserve.
Community spotlight – Orange is the new blue
Ever thought your Gravediggers might look better in prison orange? Cerxis has you covered with a cracking tutorial on painting Cygnar Gravediggers as the Caspian Jailbirds.
Alongside solid painting tips, Cerxis shares some fun lore insights behind the army, a great watch if you're looking to add jailbird flair to your force.
Looking to qualify for Iron Gauntlet?
The Welsh Masters 2025 Iron Gauntlet Qualifier kicks off on Saturday 20th Sep 2025 at Firestorm Games in Cardiff — and it’s shaping up to be an amazing weekend of Warmachine.
If you're looking for an unforgettable event (and a shot at qualifying for Iron Gauntlet along the way), this one's not to be missed.
Important: You’ll need to buy a ticket first to secure your spot. Registering on Longshanks does not reserve a place.
Get your ticket from The Battlefields
Then register on Longshanks here
Spots are going quickly — don’t miss out!
A legend reborn: MiniCrate’s Kishtaar the Conqueror
This month’s MiniCrate exclusive is a vision from a darker age. Introducing Kishtaar the Conqueror — an alternate sculpt of Kishtaar, the Howling Silence.
But this isn’t the calculating raider we know. This is the ancient warlord, the original Orgoth conqueror from a thousand years ago, returned in a form that drips menace and majesty.
Her look is a nod to the earliest Orgoth legends: brass faces leering from her armour, twin horns twisting from her helm, and a mane of hair weighted with metal beads and rings. Kishtaar is adorned like a true Orgoth warlord through and through.
This is a limited-edition model, and one every Orgoth collector will want in their ranks. And if you’ve got the Orgoth Sea Raiders Battlegroup Box, she’s a killer sculpt to show off amongst your Tyrant & Jackal warjacks.
Raid the shores in style, Subscribe to MiniCrate between July 28 - August 28 to claim the lands in the name of Kishtaar.
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