By The champions of Warhammer Quest: Darkwater are either deranged, or they possess nerves of steel. To be completely candid, I would take one glance at the throbbing mass of “nope” that its environment has transformed into and flee for the hills. I am certain the Jade Abbey was splendid in its heyday, and I realize it is brimming with untold riches. But – and I cannot emphasize this enough – no way. There are grotesque boils emerging from the earth, and creatures that will churn your stomach. Malevolence lurks at every corner. In simpler terms? Hot damn. It promises to be an incredible adventure.
Warhammer Quest: Darkwater marks Games Workshop’s newest venture into the finest board games, urging you to purge an infested dungeon across a collection of standalone missions or an extensive campaign. Having received an early copy, I must admit: I am quite impressed. This installment feels more streamlined yet impactful than its forerunners, allowing you to dive right into the exciting bits with less hassle.
Where to purchase Darkwater
The latest Warhammer Quest board game is presently available for pre-order, but the pressing question is, where will it still be in stock by the time you get this? If the last installment is any clue, it will fly off the shelves. I advise rushing to independent retailers like Miniature Market in the US (it should be available soon if it isn’t already) and Wayland Games in the UK as a result, since they have proven to be quite trustworthy in my experience. You can also obtain it from Warhammer directly, of course, but I suspect stock there will vanish faster than you can utter “critical hit.” Games Workshop has assured that additional copies of Darkwater will be produced in the future, so we shouldn’t face a repeat of the Cursed City shortage. But for now, all you can do is act quickly.
It’s immediately apparent upon opening the box that this is a more streamlined interpretation of the mechanics previously observed in the last Quest installment, Cursed City; it seems there is less ‘clutter’ to sift through, which initially caught me off guard. However, you needn’t be concerned about a lack of substance. While a few rough spots have been polished away, my testing session indicates this is to Darkwater’s advantage. My colleague, GamesRadar+’s own Will Salmon (who has a wealth of Warhammer Quest campaigns under his belt) has been exploring the game for our sister publication SFX, and he has provided similar feedback. This feels like a more cohesive, arguably superior experience overall.
Even though it isn’t as ingenious as the Gloomhaven system, Darkwater still reminds me of it. Each character has three main action cards (move, assist, and strike), but you’ll require ‘energy’ to activate them. The only means of acquiring energy is by using one of those cards, necessitating careful planning of your maneuvers.
Of course, dice can still be your downfall, and I am not fond of movement being determined by dice for most heroes (as illustrated by my poor sorceress who continuously rolled 1s or 2s on her movement d6), but it’s a robust system that’s simple to comprehend. I quickly grasped it after a quick look at the starter menu, for instance.
I am still exploring the missions and campaign mechanics, but thus far? Indications are favorable. The same applies to the eagerly awaited ‘board book,’ which significantly reduces the plethora of components previous Quest games utilized. In case you haven’t spotted it yet, it’s an enormous A3 volume with thick, glossy pages that function as your play area – the concept being that you don’t have to find room for countless tiles. While time will determine its durability, keeping every map securely stored within truly aids in storage solutions. It’s an excellent concept.
I’m equally optimistic regarding the game’s standout features – the models. Any time not dedicated to battling the chaos forces is spent assembling and painting these figures, and honestly, the sculpts are stunning. Well, grotesque. Beautifully grotesque? I would argue so. Anyway. Games Workshop has a genuine talent for creating repulsive Nurgle miniatures as is, but they have excelled themselves here. Darkwater’s predecessor, Cursed City, showcases some of the finest undead figures the company has ever released (in my opinion, at least), and these appalling beauties achieve the same for Chaos. They possess a truly disquieting aura. They’re nightmarish, and I adore that. They exude a palpable threat.
They’re incredibly unique as well. While we do have more of the burly, classic plague warriors, yes, they are outnumbered by a plethora of entirely new units. These do not merely feel like Nurgle by formula; they brilliantly align with the waterlogged aesthetic of the game, be it the drenched Mire Kelpies or the Pox-Wretches that resemble eerily drowned corpses. It imparts the game with a potent visual identity, one further accentuated by the charmingly vintage heroes who appear to have jumped straight from the pages of an ’80s interactive story.
With this year’s Black Friday Warhammer offers and various promotions capturing much of my focus this month, I haven’t been able to provide a comprehensive review of Darkwater yet – that will come later. Nonetheless, I am extremely eager to engage more… and I believe that’s likely the best indication you can receive from a new board game.
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