Where do I start?  I could give a potted history of my experience of the game but I won't.  Instead let's stick to a straightforward review.

One theme that you will hear in a lot of these reviews I suspect is that of engagement.  Warcradle are outstanding at engaging with the community that they are proactively building.  They don't always get it perfect but there is no doubt of their passion and commitment to the players.  The facebook group Dark Council is a thriving community.

The models are not just good they are awesome.  Fantastic detailing, posing and manufacture.  Because they are so well made, washes and drybrushing work really well.  And there is a huge range to choose from.  Some highlights for myself include Augusta Byron (very Bride of Frankenstein), the Greys (some of the best alien models in any game)  and good old Jesse James.  To be honest I actually can't think of a weak model in the entire range.

The world itself is extremely rich.  The back stories are dark, clever and relevant.

The game is brutal.  There are some lovely mechanics in there that make it very difficult to power play this game.  Simply put there are too many randomish variables which you and your opponent can influence to allow you to bring one killer list.  The balance is spot on.  This was not the case in first edition much though I loved the game back then.

To me one of the best things a game can have is a sense that anybody could win it right up to the end and time and time again this happens.  It's excellent.  There are some intricacies.  My advice is pick a faction you love the look of and the story of, build a posse and then get to know their special rules.  Which brings me to another feature of the game.  It seems obvious but the factions play very differently.  That isn't always the case.  So it means you can have a lot of variety in your gaming.

So I think I'll leave it there. My advice is watch some videos and buy yourself a starter box (Red Oak will give you a really good intro) and have a blast!