Dark Age hits back with a vengeance as we march through January and a new year. Leading the way we have a new C.O.R.E Starter Set so you can bring your robotic minions to the tabletop ready to crush those stinky meat bags.

Not familiar with the C.O.R.E?

"Before the Abandonment, Isuza Dynamics was working on a complete, automated, terra-forming package. The robots of this C.O.R.E. package were designed to follow various “build and replicate” protocols, all while seeking out bio-mass for their entropic cell batteries.

Since it was switched back on, the C.O.R.E. AI has brought many of the robots back online, and has sent them out into the world with little adaptation. Other robots, however, have been designed and constructed following contact with the various other factions that inhabit Samaria."

Included within the set you get the Ghost, two Infiltrators, two Rends, one DRG-Y and three Menial Bots. Additionally, don't forget to pick up the C.O.R.E Faction Cards so you can plan the future of your army.

The Shadow Caste Return

Stepping away from the robotic we also have some eerie new additions to the Shadow Caste from Dark Age. At the head of their advance is the Huntress, a massive spider-beast we've been dying to see in the flesh.

"The Huntress is a half-mad monster – a combination of equal parts Dragyri matriach, Arachnae behemoth, and otherworldly Umbra.

Formed ages ago by the first Shadow Caste members to bridge the gap between the horrors from beyond and the minions beneath the bedrock, the Huntress is a testament to the metamorphic nature of the Shadow Focus and the determination of the Shadow Caste."

Now that is how you sculpt up a big beast! The huge scenic base is needed to hold up this titanic creature with alien limbs stretching out to slice and thrash at your poor soldiers. The design of her almost arcane looking headdress and armour pieces, mirroring her shell too, gives her a strange and ancient look.

Following on from her we have the Spirit Lord of Shadow...

"In Dragyri Trueborn society, the Spirit Lords play a vital role. They train young Dragyri to properly wield the Focus of their element, offer spiritual advice and guidance, as well as acting as officers to the Arbiter of their Caste.

Although this may paint a picture of a wizened old Spirit Lord, these leaders are skeptical of old age, ensure that they maintain their martial skills, and are prepared to die in battle."

...and the Havik.

"As their name would suggest, the Shadow Caste typically prefer to work from the shadows, but there are still many of the Shadow Caste Trueborns that desire to be engaged in combat more than anything else.

The Haviks are great examples of the Shadow Caste Trueborn who live to spill the blood of their enemies."

Both are fantastic looking models in their own right but I think the Havik takes the crown of the two when it comes to design. The look of those sharp claws and that relaxed floating pose makes her look like she truly enjoys the kill. The armour design with those overlapping plates also gets a thumbs up from me.

Finishing things off we have more from the slave pits of the Dragyri as we look to their Spear Slaves.

"Millennia have passed since the Dragyri overthrew their Alteghran masters and forced them into slavery. The debased beings that are now driven at the forefront of Dragyri advances bear little resemblance to their once-proud forebears, as they grudgingly take up arms against the humans (and worse) on the surface of Samaria.

While they aren’t particularly good fighters, their spears are tipped with unstable xenosathic crystal shards that can possibly stun, immobilize, or even set an unlucky opponent on fire."

This set brings the Spear Slaves up to date with the new aesthetic of Dark Age and allows you to field some cheap frontline troops for the Air, Fire and Ice Castes. Send them in to simply be a roadblock against the enemy or use them to hold objectives while your real warriors get stuck into the fighting.

What do you think of the new releases?